Checkmate
by Ranko twin
Summary: Yuugi is on a mission to save his friends from the Shadow Realm. He must venture to Yami's world and go through another sick game. On the way, Yuugi and his friends see some old familiar faces. They learn secrets of the past and discover things of the future they may not want to know. They have to rediscover who they are. It's Yuugi's move. Checkmate. AU YAOI-last installment
1. Chapter 1

**Ranko: Oh my, goodness…where am I?**

**Yami: You should know. **

**Ranko: …How long have you known me, Yami? **

**Yami: Good point.**

**Yuugi: Ranko, don't you remember? This is the introduction to the first chapter of the last installment of the Shadow Game series: Checkmate!**

**Ranko: No, it can't be. This can't be the last story. This can't be the last first introduction! Wait…did I say that right? Who cares!**

**Yuugi: It is Ranko, the ride is almost over. **

**Yami: But this story is going to be like the final look of a roller coaster before the ride ends!**

**Ranko: Yeah! We're going to go out with a bang! No time for melancholy and goodbyes now, people! We have an awesome story to write, so hang on to your seats! Okay, for anyone who is reading this now and just grabbed their seat, I applaud you!**

**Yuugi: This time we will not be replying to reviews from the last chapter of the previous story, because that will just take up more time and we have a feeling you want us to stop ranting and get on with the story!**

**Ranko: You're right, so do the disclaimer, Yami!**

**Yami: You know what I'm going to say, Ranko twin owns nothing related to Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Games!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Bakura didn't know where he was. He was standing in the middle of endless white. He didn't think that calling it a room would explain what it was. There was no floor, no ceiling, and there were no walls. It was just infinite white in every direction. For the first time, in a long time, Bakura was scared.

Then he heard the sweet bell tone of laughter. It was so familiar to Bakura yet at the same time, he couldn't place where he had heard it before. The sound surrounded him from all around, just like the white. It sounded so near but so distant. And then the beautiful laughter turned to crying and terrified screams that made Bakura's heart rip in two.

"_Bakura! Bakura, where are you? Help me, I'm scared!"_

Bakura jumped in surprise when he heard that voice call for him. He twisted around in every direction, searching for the source of the noise. He wanted to soothe that person's fears, to let them know that he was there and would always protect that person.

"_Can you, Bakura?"_

A voice echoed in his head; he grasped the sides of his head in pain as if he had a headache. "Wh-what…is going o-on?"

"_Can you really protect him, Bakura?"_

"Who are you talking about?" Bakura screamed as a thick fog rolled in from no where; he didn't even notice. "Show yourself and face me like a man, damn it!"

"_You've failed him once before, Bakura, you let him die. Do you really think that you can protect him?"_

Suddenly the image of an angelic boy with soft white hair and beautiful brown eyes flashed in his mind, making him grip his head in pain again. He saw the boy smiling at him, laughing, and then crying. His gorgeous eyes were filled with fear and desperation.

Bakura collapsed to his knees against the un-existing floor. "Ryou…Ryou! No, he's still alive, I know he is!"

"_You let him die, you failed him Bakura. Do you really think that he still loves you after what you've done to him? After cheating on him with that little friend of yours?"_

Bakura shook his head desperately. "No, no, no! You don't understand!" Bakura rose to his feet and ran into the fog blindly. "Show yourself to me, you coward!"

"_Bakura!"_

Bakura stopped and turned, seeing the outline of a slim figure in the fog behind him. He would recognize that shape anywhere. "Ryou!" he cried happily, running towards the boy, but the closer he got to him, the farther Ryou seemed to fade away.

"_No, Bakura! Don't come near me! I don't want you anymore! Just leave me alone!"_

That did it, Bakura's heart shattered like glass at hearing those words. The outline in the fog slowly started to disappear and Bakura ran desperately towards it, refusing to let the boy go. "No, Ryou! Ryou!" he cried, still not able to see where he was going.

Then his there was nothing beneath his feet to run against, and he was falling…

"Ryou!" he cried as Bakura awoke from his dream…or nightmare was more like it.

"Bakura?" a soft voice spoke from beside him. The voice was so similar to Ryou's that it made Bakura's heart leap but then he realized that this voice was more childish that Ryou's. He turned his head and saw Yuugi sitting next to him.

Wait, Yuugi? What was Yuugi doing here? And why was his bed rocking? He turned his head in the other direction, finally realizing the crick in his neck, and saw a beautiful green landscape rush past him.

Where was he? He turned back to look at Yuugi who was staring at him with concerned eyes. "Bakura, are you okay?" Bakura looked past Yuugi and saw Mai and Seto sitting in the two seats across the aisle; he heard Honda snoring behind him accompanied by the low drone of music coming from Anzu's iPod.

Now he remembered, he and all of his friends were on a train to Hokkaido. That explained the rocking and the painful crick in his neck from resting against a train seat. They were going to Hokkaido so they could go to Yuugi's old house so maybe they could get some information on the Shadow Realm and they could transport themselves there.

Why did they have to transport themselves to the Shadow Realm willingly? Because that is where their friends were; Yami was holding them captive, using them as bait for the next sick Game he wanted to play with them.

They thought that the door that Yuugi's parents had opened to the Shadow Realm still worked if not they were out of options and out of luck because apparently, Domino high school doesn't require students to take a _How to Open a Portal to the Shadow Realm _class. They didn't know any other way of getting there so they just hoped…and prayed.

Bakura then looked over to Yuugi; the boy was nervous but also excited. His leg wouldn't stop shaking as he looked up and down the aisles, as if checking if anyone was following them; highly unlikely. The kid had grown up these last few weeks; dear God, has it only been a few weeks since the first Game started?

But imagining Yuugi back then, weak and incapable of taking care of himself, made Bakura's chest hurt. The boy was so different now. He was more independent, he wasn't as afraid as Yami, he took care of his friends, and there was now wisdom behind those beautiful big eyes of his.

Bakura smiled fondly at the boy and resumed staring out the window. He couldn't believe how much their lives had changed. The image of Ryou from his dream flashed in his mind again, the voice mocking him. Yes, he couldn't believe how much had changed…

What was that dream he had about?

"It's do or die now," Yuugi suddenly said; it was quiet enough so only Bakura could hear him. Bakura was probably the only one that Yuugi could still connect with. They both shared a common goal and determination. They both loved Ryou and would do anything to get him back.

"Huh?" Bakura asked, confused.

Yuugi shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking out loud." It was do or die, there was no safe zone any more. Yuugi could tell that this new Game was going to be a free for all and that made adrenaline rush through his veins with excitement. It was no longer fear that drove him on but determination.

Determination to take down Yami. They were going to a place where nightmares came true…and then killed you. Yuugi thought of Ryou; yes, he was definitely ready to take down Yami and go to the actually Shadow Realm. Yuugi would never forget that last pleading look Ryou gave him as he reached out a desperate hand…only to sink in the garbage.

Then he remembered Yami's crimson eyes twinkle with satisfaction right after Ryou's nightmare, a way of saying, "I told you so."

Yuugi shook his head and decided to count the number of dots on the cabin's ceiling. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…no, wait, he counted the same dot twice, now he had to start all over. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

Anything to keep his mind off of Yami. A little voice in the back of his head told him that it was alright to think about Yami. He didn't affect Yuugi anymore, he had lost his power over the boy. At least, that is what Yuugi wanted to believe; he looked down to stare at the simple gold band around his finger. It glinted in the light and Yuugi could feel the inscription inside burn his finger.

_All I refuse & Thee I chuse_

Yuugi shook his head again and started to recount the dots on the ceiling. This time, Yuugi would not let his feelings, whatever they were, for Yami take him over. This time he would beat Yami.

Yuugi let images of Yami flash through his mind as he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Yami's beautiful face and his glowing, crimson eyes, those eyes that held so many expressions. Yami genuinely laughing at him, or with him, Yami smiling at him. The look Yami gave him after they had just kissed. Yami's face as he realized Yuugi had betrayed him.

The images overwhelmed Yuugi and he felt dizzy. But he couldn't stop thinking of Yami. His tall, lean body that Yuugi could easily fit into and find comfort in. His steady heartbeat under his toned chest. His strong, warm hands that would hold Yuugi so lovingly. His kisses…Yuugi shuddered.

Yami may look the same age as Yuugi, he may be the youngest of his kind, but Yami was much older than Yuugi imagined when it came to experience. He was expert in…many things that Yuugi had never even dared to imagine. Often Yuugi wondered why Yami had chosen Yuugi love; even Yuugi had to admit that he was awkward and a klutz. So why him?

Yuugi could imagine that Yami had been with multiple men and women through the centuries, he could have anyone he wanted. Yuugi couldn't help but feel a surge of jealously at this thought though he didn't understand why. This must be how Alexander Lightwood feels from the Mortal Instrument series. 

Yuugi could imagine that all of those people Yami had used and toyed with had fallen prey to Yami's charm just as much as Yuugi had.

Maybe thinking about Yami wasn't the best idea right now. 26, 27, 28, 29…

He thought of his friends. He had let too many people down throughout these hellish games. His friends had suffered a fate that was meant for him. He thought of Jou, Malik, and Ryou. He had to save them; he couldn't let them down a second time.

He would not betray their trust; he would return them back to their families, back to the world where they belonged. He was going to find them, no matter what.

59, 60, 61…

Thinking of his friends calmed Yuugi's nerves; he had a feeling that everything was going to be alright in the end. Yuugi closed his eyes and drifted off into a dream…

He was in an elevator. A little man wore a silver mask that covered his entire face. He was small, smaller than Yuugi, like dwarf small.

"Will you go with us? Can we carry you?" Yuugi realized that this man had been asking him the same question for a while now. "We can carry you," the dwarf like man said, taking a step towards Yuugi; Yuugi took a step back in fear.

"No, you can't. Who are you?" Yuugi asked.

The little man acted as if he didn't hear Yuugi. "Can we take you?" On one of the elevator's walls there was a promotional poster for Wonderland Park, a theme park that Yuugi always went to as a kid. "Can we take you?" the man asked again.

Yuugi finally looked the little man straight in the eye. He had dealed with people like this before, namely Yami. It was time to put those negation skills he had developed to the test. "Yes…" Yuugi answered.

The man's eyes lit up from behind his mask. "We can?" he asked eagerly, reaching his arms up towards Yuugi, like a child would reach for his mother.

Yuugi nodded. "Yes…if you tell me who you really are." There was the trump card.

The man's arms dropped in disappointment and he took one step away from Yuugi.

Now Yuugi was the one who took a confident step forward. "Tell me who you really are," Yuugi said in a slight commanding tone. A bottle materialized in his hand; he raised it over his head, reading to knock the dwarf out.

Somewhere in his brain, he knew that the little man wasn't actually there; it was only an image. Yami had played this trick on him countless times before. He would just show up in his dreams but he wasn't physically there; he was always hiding behind his shadow magic.

Yuugi swung the bottle down and hit the man on the head; it passed right through him. He thought that the man might materialize briefly to show him what he really was. So Yuugi kept hitting him but the bottle kept passing through the phantom image.

Then the image disappeared.

Yuugi was pleased with himself. He turned to walk through the open doors of the elevator only to walk into another. The little man was waiting there for Yuugi, laughing him.

"Can we take you? We can carry you."

Yuugi sat up in his train seat with a start, feeling as if he had just dropped off a really tall building. Where was he again? The train. What was he doing? Going to Hokkaido, to his parents' old house. What was he going to do there? Find a way to go to the Shadow Realm to rescues his friends.

Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief. He felt eyes on him; he turned and saw Bakura staring at him. "Weird dream?" the older boy asked.

Yuugi felt out of breath so he just nodded. Bakura hummed in understanding and went back to staring out the window, but that didn't last long because Honda suddenly kicked the back of Bakura's chair, making Bakura lurch forward.

Yuugi blinked and turned around in his seat. "What the hell?"

Honda was sitting up in his seat, breathing heavily. His eyes were wide and unbelieving as he stared forward blankly. Anzu was sitting next to him with a comforting hand on his shoulder, asking him what was wrong.

Now all of their friends were staring at Honda in concern as he shook off the reminisces of his dream. Other people in the train car gave Honda strange looks but didn't pay attention to him too long, quickly going back to what they were doing.

"Yo, Honda, you alright?" Bakura asked, trying to sound like he didn't care. "Can you breath?"

Honda breathed in deeply and sighed it out; his eyes focused and regained their usual light. He leaned back in his chair tiredly and ran a hand through his spiked hair.

"I had a dream," he said simply.

Yuugi's eyes widened but he remained calm; he exchanged a quick glance with Bakura. "You too?" Honda nodded without a word. "What about?" Yuugi asked gently. "It wasn't about an elevator, was it?" Because that would just be strange…as if everything else that has happened to them wasn't strange enough.

Honda gave Yuugi a look as if the boy had just lost his mind. "What? No, it was about Jounouchi."

Seto leaned across the aisle as much as his seat would allow to listen to what Honda was talking about. "What about Jounouchi?"

Honda acted as if he hadn't heard Seto. He continued to stare at Yuugi as he talked. "But it wasn't all of Jounouchi. It was his head…" Honda gulped," and it was talking to me."

There was a deafening silence as the horrified friends registered what Honda had just said. Seto looked as if he were about to say something but then the train turned a corner too fast. The car they were in tipped to the left, balanced on only one of its sides.

Anything Seto was going to say was forgotten as everyone in their car screamed.

-/-

**Ranko: Yeah, that's how we do what we do! Just the record, trains do not actually tip over when they turn. I have been on a train countless times and that has never happened. I just hope I didn't traumatize anyone. **

**Yuugi: Oh my, Ra! I love it! **

**Yami: When am I going to show up?**

**Ranko: It's the first chapter and you're asking me this now?**

**Yami: Yeah, I want to know when I can be with Yuugi! Also, when I show up the new Game starts. What is the new Game, Ranko? Huh? Huh? Huh?**

**Ranko: I'm not answering your questions, you'll just have to wait like the rest of the readers and find out when it happens!**

**Yuugi: …You don't know anyone of the answers, do you?**

**Ranko: (sweat drop) Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ranko: (buried under reviews and favorite and followers and love)**

**Yuugi: Ranko?**

**Yami: Is she dead?**

**Ranko: (revives herself) Thank you so much for all of your support guys, you make me feel so loved! All of the favs and followers and reviews, I appreciate them all! I thought that you guys had forgotten about me since it took me forever to post this story I guess not! Just please, a few more reviewers; reviews are my crack. **

**Yami: You're a review whore. **

**Yuugi: Speaking of reviews…**

**fakemannequin:**** I hope I didn't freak you out too much because I wouldn't want you to stop reading. Don't worry, it won't get that scary or creepy and if it does, I'll warn you guys! Please continue to review!**

**Shaliza's Scarab:**** Oh, thank you for making me feel loved! You guys make writing these chapters every week—ahem…two weeks—worth it. I am sure our friends in the Shadow Realm are fine…or are they? Dun dun dun! Please continue to review!**

**Black Rose of Fire:**** Ermergerd! Thank you! I am glad that I could finally deliver this to you! Thank you for making me happy inside and please continue to review!**

**CandyFiend:**** I know, it's a sad day that this has to end :( And yes, Yami does like to mess with people but that is why we all love him. Thanks a bunch! Please continue to review!**

**AmerillaRose:**** Is it bad to say that even I don't know what the next game is yet? Ryou might come back…I don't know, how bad do you want him back? ;) Do you want a happily ever after? You decide! Please continue to review!**

**Great:**** Thanks for the review but I don't think this story will be M, thanks for the note though. Please continue to review!**

**TheGuardian'sOfTheFishbowl:**** Oh, well thank you, its good to be back. ;) I'm glad that I wasn't forgotten and yes, just one more story until the end, sad day. :( Your right, who doesn't like a long story? Please continue to review!**

**TheNickofTime:**** Thank you for all the support and kind words, I am happy that you like this story so much and I hope I will not disappoint at the end of this trilogy. Please continue to review!**

**raindropdew:**** I know, I love to abuse poor Bakura and I know what you mean about Yuugi's dream, but what are you going to do? Anyway, I think I would rather ride a train than a plane; too many problems when it comes to planes. Thank you for the support and please continue to review!**

**LobaKarina15:**** Thank you so much and I agree when it comes to the song, thank you so much for mentioning that! Please continue to review!**

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** Oh, you make me happy, you made Yami behave? So, are you saying that my series is like your crack; that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me! Please continue to review!**

**lilpopsplash:**** We are never done acting like fangirls! Embrace it. Let me just say this, I am a crappy writer and I am sure that you are an excellent writer. Heck, I would read one of your stories. I am sad this is ending too but thank you for supporting me. I knew that you would like the Mortal Instruments reference. ;) Please continue to review!**

**sea girl:**** I am sorry for updating late but I am back with another post! Please continue to review!**

**Chesirecat23TheWantedOne:**** My crazy reviewer is back! I am so happy you held onto your seat! Yami is just a little bitch! But he's our bitch, so…Thanks for the support, love your reviews so please continue to make me smile!**

**Ranko: If you ever question if I love you guys or not, just look above and look at the fourteen reviews I just answered. The last time I am doing that, from now on I am only answering reviews with questions or ones that make me laugh. **

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Yuugi: Enjoy!**

-/-

Sparks flew from the tracks and the lights in the train car flickered until they finally died. Everyone was still screaming and they were all practically thrown to one side of the train car. Yuugi felt like they were going to lean so far to the left that the train would end up upside-down and just thinking about that made him sick.

Yuugi couldn't help but think that he had survived two Games that were hosted by the devil, he had conquered his worse fears; who would have guessed that he would die by just some freak accident on the train?

Was he going to die? He didn't really think about, he was too busy screaming as he was practically thrown into Bakura's lap. What was someone supposed to think about before they die? Was his life supposed to flash before his eyes like everyone says? He couldn't imagine anyone rethinking a lifetime when all of their senses were overrun with astonishment and fear.

Then, as the tracks underneath the train straightened out from the bend, the train lurched back in position, on both of its sides and they continued going straight. The lights flickered back on and the cabin was filled with harsh breathing and people crying in relief.

Yuugi couldn't believe that that whole experience only lasted a second or so.

The voice of one of the female attendants came on over the intercom, sounding a bit anxious but trying to sound calm. "We're sorry about that, folks—the conductor took that turn a little too fast. It should be smooth riding the rest of the way, but please, try to restrain from moving about the train car."

Yuugi barely heard her over the beating of his frantic heart. He put his hand to his chest and felt his heart beating faster than usual; his whole body was shaking. He tried to calm himself down with a few even breaths as he brushed a stray bang away from his face with a shaky hand.

Mai leaned as far over Seto as she could but the taller man wouldn't let her get out of her seat. "Yuugi, are you alright?"

Yuugi barely registered what Mai had said but nodded anyway.

For a minute, the train was in a tunnel, only a few dim lights that they passed every other second. Yuugi expected glowing eyes of the Shadow Men to come from that darkness at any moment…

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Honda cleared his throat.

"So, about my dream…" he aid awkwardly.

Anzu put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It was just a dream." Yuugi knew that Anzu was just trying to stay practical and level-headed in this situation, but after everything they had been through, nothing was _just_ a dream.

Mai seemed to have similar thoughts. She snorted and mumbled, "Just a dream." She looked out the window and plugged ear-phones into her ears, drowning out the rest of the world. Seto was surprisingly quiet, considering Honda's dream was about Jounouchi.

Whether it was just a dream or not, Yuugi didn't know what it meant. Just like how he didn't know what his dream meant. Was Yami behind this? Probably, it really wouldn't surprise Yuugi. Was he torturing them with dreams of their friends that were lost?

But after everything they went through, Yuugi also wouldn't be surprised if their minds were so screwed up that _they_ were the ones coming up with these weird dreams. But then again, nightmares were the Shadow Men's specialty.

The Shadow Men. Yuugi shuddered; he still remembered all of those eyes staring at him from inside the closet, all of them blood-thirsty and lustful. Only one pair was innocent. Yuugi scoffed; not so innocent now.

Yuugi remembered Jounouchi's words as they played The Shadow Game for the first time. It felt like it was so long ago when really it was only a few weeks ago.

"_Yeah, the Shadow Men, they're kind of like the Sandman, except there's more than one and they bring nightmares. It's like they are the owners of the house and we are the trespassers."_

And it turns out that they do not like people trespassing on their property.

Yami, Akefia, and Marik knew all of their deepest secrets and fears; their true desires and their real intentions. Yuugi found himself cursing Yami with all his being as his thoughts travelled back to when Yami sound Yuugi the Game.

"_Mystery. Danger. Seduction. Fear. Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled. Temptation."_

And Yuugi started to curse himself with just as much disgust, because he should have run out of that store as soon as Yami asked, "Can I help you?"

_Elsewhere ~_

Jounouchi screamed as he stared at his decapitated head that was right in front of him. But it wasn't really a scream; he was in too much shock to scream. He opened his mouth and made this strange choking sound, trying to scream past the lump that was stuck in his throat.

He was mortified, because that was _his_ head. He didn't know if it was an illusion or not. He frantically felt his neck and he didn't feel a scar or any torn flesh that showed his head had been chopped off. It was official; the Shadow Men were playing dirty.

Suddenly, someone put a small, pale hand in front of his eyes so he didn't have to look at his detached head anymore and was dragged away. He was shaking and still making that strange choking sound when the person removed the hand from his eyes and lowered him to the ground.

He felt someone rub his back and make soothing shushing noises. "It's okay, it's okay, Jou. That wasn't real; it's okay."

Jounouchi looked up and with dazed eyes he saw a familiar face. It was Ryou. Jou was breathing harshly but Ryou was the perfect image of calm when before he would be the first one that would have passed out. To think, Ryou went through the horrors of the Shadow Realm alone until Jou and Malik came. No wonder the boy had changed; he had to so he could stay sane.

Once Jou had calmed down enough that he could form normal thoughts, he asked, "When are Yuugi and the others going to get here, Ryou?"

Ryou had a pained expression in his eyes were a moment; he must have thought the same thing about them when he was stuck here by himself with only the cruel smiles of the Shadow Men to keep him company. "I don't know, Jou…I don't know."

One of Akefia's memories of his past life flashed before Ryou's eyes for a moment.

_Two small boys were huddled against each other, both shaking and trying to keep warm. There was a smaller version of Akefia and another small boy that was faceless. Akefia was crying softly as the other boy rubbed his brother's back in a soothing manner._

_They were hiding in a closet; loud noises were coming from outside, people were stomping around looking for the two boys. _

"_Are they going to find us? Are we safe here?" When his brother didn't answer immediately, Akefia looked at him in confusion. "Hey, Marik, are we safe here?"_

_His brother smiled sadly at him and whispered back, "I don't know, Akefia…I don't know."_

_And in what felt like seconds, the closet door was kicked open and the two boys began to scream. Akefia remained hidden in the shadows as a man grabbed Marik and threw him over his shoulder. Marik was kicking and screaming the whole time as he cried his brother's name._

_Akefia was too scared to even move and sat there in the corner, shaking and crying as he replayed his brother being taken away from him in his mind over and over again until someone finally found him there after three days. _

Ryou passed out.

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi stepped onto the platform by the train station and smiled happily, breathing in the fresh air and absorbing the feeling of not being shoved around like in Domino city where it seemed like everyone was in a rush.

This was his home, where he grew up. The bright flowers, the mountains in the distance, the cool fresh air that was so wonderful to breathe in instead of the gas fumes from cars. There were sweet little old ladies in front of their houses in the morning, watering their plants and happy faces all around.

But this was not a vacation unfortunately, they had work to do and Yuugi could only pray that they could make it back to Domino and their families alive.

Mai seemed to be just as happy to be back in the place she grew up but judging by the stubborn set of her jaw, she also understood that they were on a very important mission and didn't have time to go skipping down memory lane.

"Whoa," Bakura said as they walked down the streets of Hokkaido, after they had gotten their bags and left the train station; now they were walking to Yuugi's house with their backpacks slung over their shoulders. "It is so peaceful here." Bakura had grown up in Domino city all of his life; that is why he was so aggressive by nature.

"It is so quaint here," Anzu said after they passed the third family run store that had been there for at least a decade.

"I always thoughts that Hokkaido would be colder," Honda said, only wearing a light jacket. The air was fresh and crisp, with a slight breeze.

"Only in January," Yuugi said, remember the times he played in the snow in front of his house with Mai. They made snow angels and had snow ball fights. Who would have thought that while he was being a kid, in his basement there were monsters that lurked?

Just thinking about that made Yuugi fume with anger. He thought of Yami and his reason for being here. He was going to keep his promise; as soon as he saw Yami he was going to punch him.

Mai tapped Yuugi on the shoulder. Yuugi looked up in surprise and saw Mai pointing ahead of them. "Yuugi, look."

Yuugi looked and he thought he could cry right there. Just a block away was his street sign, with ivy growing up the pole. It had been years since he had seen that familiar street sign and he could have took off running from there.

He and the rest of the group walked the rest of the way to Yuugi's old house together; the whole time Yuugi was bouncing around anxiously, feeling as if his heart might beat out his chest from the excitement.

And then he saw it. The oak in the front of his house still stood strong. The bright yellow door and baby blue window shutters. When Yuugi's parents bought the house, they let Yuugi pick those two colors; granted he was an infant and just pointed at the two brightest colors he saw.

There was a flash of familiarity as he walked up the flower-paved walkway. He remembered playing on this lawn all the time. He remembered swinging on that tire swing attached to the tree branch.

It was smaller than he remembered it being though. As if it has changed in the ten years no one has lived in it. Mai's parents had bought the property when Yuugi went to live with his grandfather so no one could buy or sell the house.

No, it wasn't the house that had changed, it was Yuugi. The last time he had been here he was five years old. And then another painful wave of memories hit him. He remembered his parents' faces, they were always smiling. Who would have known they had such a big secret?

And Yuugi questioned himself for the first time if he could really do this or not? Was he brave enough? He should be after all the hell he's been through. One would think after everything he has experienced that he wouldn't be afraid of anything anymore.

He was afraid though, he was afraid of going back to that room and reliving that day. Yes, he had been there in his nightmare in the Game, but that was an illusion, this was real life.

Suddenly he felt a slim arm, as a strong as a boy's, slide around his shoulder and pull him close. Yuugi looked into his cousin's violet eyes and saw Mai smiling down at him encouragingly. Her golden hair glowed in the sun and created a halo around her face. "Come on, shrimp, you can do this?"

Mai, she had always been there for him. Ever since the beginning when he came home from the game shop where he bought the Game and she was sitting on his bed, there to surprise him.

Yuugi nodded and turned to his friends. "Mai has a key to this house since her parents own the property." Bakura's shoulders slumped in disappointment; he didn't get to break any windows. "We can just go in through the front."

"Wait," Anzu said before Mai could even take the key from her purse. "If it is so easy to get in why are we rushing things so fast? We can do this at any time so why don't we just take one day to relax?"

"Sweetie, our friends are in the Shadow Realm—" Mai began but was soon cut off by Anzu.

"I know that and I know they need our help, but what is one extra day going to do. They have been waiting this long so can we just have a fun day for ourselves? Who knows what is going to happen when we go to the Shadow Realm." It was implied in her tone that they should at least have some fun if they die there.

Mai thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "I guess the girl's got a point."

Yuugi had a bad feeling settle in his stomach and it got even worse when Yuugi just had to open his big mouth and suggest where they go.

Twenty minutes later they were waiting in line to get tickets to get into Wonderland Park. The large entrance sign was decorated with flowers and fake vines; the park was based off of Alice in Wonderland with a few other attractions that weren't related to the story that were added in later years.

"Yuugi, why are we here?" Seto asked, his arms crossed over his chest. He had remained quiet most of his time but this was obviously where he drew the line.

Yuugi sighed; Seto had to lighten up. "I saw a poster promoting this in my dream on the train, you know, while Honda was having a dream about Jounouchi."

Honda shuddered at the memory.

"Maybe it is some kind of message that we need to go here," Yuugi said; they were next in line and Mai pulled out her wallet to pay for the tickets.

Mai paid for all of them and smiled as she received the tickets. "You went with your instincts; that can't be wrong. And even if it wasn't a message then we still got to spend a day at an amusement park and have some fun, right?"

As they traveled around the park they passed a building with a slanted roof and was splattered with paint; the double doors were mirrors. A sign above the door read: WE'RE ALL MAD HERE.

"What is that?" Seto asked, his nose scrunched up.

Yuugi smiled at the face. "That's the fun house. There are secret doors all around that lead to different parts of the park. They're usually hard to find and you usually just get out through the normal exit that leads to the Queen's Garden."

At least, that is how it should still be. This place has changed a lot. Replacing the Queen's Garden was some haunted mansion type of attraction. There was a new ride that was like a mine ride that took the rider through the Dormouse's gem mine, even though Yuugi didn't remember the Dormouse having a mind in the story.

The biggest shock was the new arcade, which Yuugi would have liked to spend hours in just playing all the new updated games. This park's arcade is where Yuugi developed his love for games.

Yuugi soon started to think that it was a message after all, which made the day a lot better without the burden of having to look over your shoulder all day.

They rode the Mr. Caterpillar roller coaster, which sounded very childish but it was the fastest roller coaster that Yuugi had ever ridden before. And in one of those rare moments, Yuugi saw Seto smile while they were riding it.

They rode the Dormouse's Mining Adventure next and Bakura was very unimpressed by the fake gems that were actually plastic that was just lit up with flashlights that were imbedded in the fake rock walls. "This is supposed to be a gem mine?" he asked.

Honda rolled his eyes. "Use your imagination," he said, sweeping his hands out to make it look like he was forming a rainbow.

Bakura scooted an inch away from Honda. "You've been hanging out with Otogi too much." Honda hit him.

They went to the funhouse next and ended up in The Queen's Chopping Block, which took the famous line, "Off with your head!" to a whole new level. It was really scary and way to real looking. No wonder they only let teens and adults in this attraction.

Then Yuugi finally saw it, the Cheshire Cat trashcan. It was a robot like machine that just "ate" trash. It was supposed to be fun for the kids. You pull its tail and the cat's jaw drops open and you drop trash in. Then the machine makes this programmed purr and closes its mouth.

It just sits on a brick wall and is always grinning. Yuugi thought for a moment he saw the cat's eyes glow red for a moment but that was impossible. It was just his imagination; he had been in the sun too long.

Suddenly, two small figures went running past Yuugi screeching in excitement; they nearly knocked Yuugi down at the speed they were going.

They were yelling, "We got it! We found another one!"

Bakura suddenly stepped in their path, making the kids come to a screeching halt and almost fall on top of each other. He looked down at them menacingly and smiled, showing his fangs. "Got what?"

The two boys, who looked twelve, shivered in fear. "A coin…" one of them answered. To prove his point, he held up a shiny gold coin with a bow stamped on it. "For the new attraction," he continued, pointing towards a poster that was tacked to the nearest post.

They all looked, it read:

**ALL-NEW ATTRACTION! COLLECT THREE GOLD COINS AND BE THE FIRST TO EXPLORE…ALICE'S ISLAND. **

"You collect three coins and they let you in free the day that it opens!" one of the boys said excitedly, forgetting his fear of Bakura. "You get to go over the bridge first. The coins are hidden all over the park."

They soon grew bored of Bakura and found something else interesting, running to that with laughs of glee.

Yuugi looked to see the manmade island in an artificial lake of Wonderland Park. Yuugi remembered that the island used to be used to put on small plays and comic performances, now it was obviously under reconstruction. Yuugi couldn't see any bridge leading to it yet.

Why did that make him feel uneasy?

A kid dropped trash into the Cheshire's mouth and it made that automated purring again.

"Come on," Yuugi said suddenly, overly chipper. "Let's do something really kiddie, like a tea party!"

This was Yuugi's favorite place to go as a kid, it was The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. It was just a place where after walking all day, adults could just sit down and kids could continue to play. It was this big playground area, with a jungle gym, slide, and a little pond for kids to go fishing in. The plastic fish had numbers on them and you would get a different prize for different numbers.

The group of friends got a rod and went fishing in the pond. Anzu got a little doll, Honda got a racecar, Seto got a plastic change purse, Bakura laughed at the prize Seto got until he got the same thing, Mai got a packet of colored pens, and Yuugi…

He didn't pull out a number from the pond and it took all his will not to scream, but he did fall to his knees. All of his friends rushed around him, asking what was wrong. But he didn't hear them, all of his senses were numb and all he could focus on was what was clutched in his fist.

Yuugi was wrong; they wouldn't be able to enjoy their day. This little monster was proof that Yami had been watching them all day. Yami was watching him now, this very minute, just as he had been watching him for years.

Yuugi opened his fist and stared at Yami's doll that was used in The Shadow Game. Yuugi never thought he would see it again. It still looked so life like, like the doll would wink at him at any moment.

There was no getting away from him now, not here, not anywhere.

Yuugi rose to his feet on shaking legs, brushing off his friends' fretting hands, insisting he can walk on his own.

"Let's go home," he said, wanting to drop the doll back in the water, but ended up shoving it in his pocket instead.

-/-

**Ranko: Can I apologize enough for updating so late? But I made it up to you guys cause this is a long chapter, I hope you enjoyed, and I'm sorry, I probably won't be updating on When Life Gives You Lemons until next week or sometime this week. **

**Yami: You can go to Ranko's house and attack her now.  
**

**Yuugi: That's not very nice. **

**Ranko: I probably deserve it, anyway, review! I am a review whore!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ranko: Okay, it is either really late at night or really early in the morning right now, I can't tell. All I feel is just plain tiredness. **

**Yuugi: Do you want to just answer reviews?**

**Ranko: (nods)**

**Yami: Ranko appreciates all the favorites, followers, and reviews, but unfortunately she cannot answer them all.**

**Phantom Luna:**** Oh, I'm pretty sure that Yuugi's friends already saw the doll, sorry that I didn't clarify that. =3 Anyway, what is "pasta?" (I have never watched Hetalia, though I really want to). Please continue to review!**

**princesshatley92:**** AH! You're so demanding! Yet, I cannot deny you! =3 Please continue to review!**

**Black Rose of Fire:**** Don't worry, I will probably cry too! Anyway, yeah, I love the Alice in Wonderland theme park too, I wish there really was one. Please continue to review!**

**Great:**** Thank you for the amazing review! You always make me feel so loved and then you make me feel like some writing god! Anyway, I liked the return to Yuugi's childhood last chapter too. I will answer any questions you have, I love to give answers! Please continue to review!**

**lilpopsplash:**** I have learned that most people have that problem, not knowing whether to live Yami or not. I will swear this though, by the end of the story, you will love Yami more than ever…even though he won't let Yuugi have fun in the amusement park. ;) Please continue to review!**

**TheGuardian'sOfTheFishbowl:**** Oh, you didn't have to make it funny! Thank you for saving that though, you make me feel so loved =D. I hope that you are feeling better now! Please continue to review!**

**Chesirecat23TheWantedOne:**** I swear, at this point, I love you (not in a creepy way) and your amazing reviews! Thank you for making me head bigger than it already is! Yami is a bitch, but that is why we love him! The Shadow Men are coming so hold your breath and wait a bit longer! I wish there was an Alice in Wonderland theme park, I am a Wonderland freak! The best conversations usually occur when someone gets off track. I love the Cheshire cat! I got you, I would like a plastic penny purse too. Thank you, thank you, thank you! From now on I am a review collector! Please continue to review!**

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** I wish my Yami was as obedient as yours. Thank you so much for the kind words, you are about to make me cry! Anyway, don't you just hate it when you get one of those balloon mallets and it deflates? Bummer. Anyway, do I really have to say it at this point? Hmm…I'll say it anyway. Please continue to review!**

**Yuugi: Your reviewers are weird…**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Love you all! Enjoy!**

-/-

Yuugi walked back down the familiar streets back to his house with his friends. Yuugi still had Yami's doll clenched tightly in his fist, staring into its eyes every few minutes. Mai was walking next to her cousin, looking at him worriedly and testing his reaction.

A few weeks ago, Yuugi would have been having a mental breakdown if something were to happen like this. Then Mai realized with a jolt that something like this has happened before, when Miho discovered the doll house and showed it to them Yuugi had freaked out.

Mai looked around the group of high school students, they all looked so much older than they should be. It was scary upsetting for Mai. How did all of this start? When the Shadow Game began? When Yuugi waited until the last minute to get a game for Jou's party? Maybe if Mai had never come back from college, this never would have happened.

Mai mentally snorted, even she knew that was a stupid thought. Whether she came or not, that wouldn't have made a difference. No, she was wrong again; if she hadn't been there for them they all would have probably died in the first Game.

But then again…

Mai stole another glance at her cousin who was currently looking the doll straight in the eye, looking defiant and tired and just plain _pissed_. Mai smiled softly; her little cousin has definitely proved that he could handle himself.

She looked ahead and saw the street to turn on to get back to the house just up ahead. She had a horrible feeling in her stomach and it felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Mai knew that her cousin was going to have to be strong during this time, because she didn't know if she would live long enough to always be there for him.

"_Mai….Mai, dear." Her grandfather called her name in a sweet voice, gently nudging her shoulder and brushing her hair behind her ear. "Mai, do you want to see your new cousin?"_

_Mai wondered what her grandpa was talking about but then she remembered where she was. She was in the hospital. She had been there for hours waiting for her aunt to have a baby. _

_Mai held out her arms to show that she wanted her grandpa to carry her. Her grandpa laughed softly and picked the child up, groaning softly. He carried her to her aunt's room, dozing on and off throughout the whole walk. Finally they reached a small room and Mai was immediately alert when she heard the sound of quiet coos. _

_She looked up from her grandpa's shoulder and saw her aunt in a hospital bed with a small bundle in her arms that was the source of the cute coos. Mai's uncle was standing over her, smiling at the little bundle in her aunt's arms. He noticed Mai and his father there and beckoned them over._

_Mai squirmed out of her grandpa's arms and wobbled over to her aunt. She leaned her weight against the bed to keep herself from falling and peaked over the edge. Her aunt was holding the bundle out to face her and wrapped in the blankets was a little person with beautiful amethyst eyes unlike anything Mai had seen. _

"_Mai, sweetheart, meet your cousin, Yuugi."_

"_Yuugi?" Mai repeated, testing the name on her lips; it felt nice. Yuugi looked at Mai and giggled. _

"_You'll protect Yuugi with everything you have, won't you, Mai?"_

_Mai touched the mark that was tattooed to her side when she was born that marked her as a Shadow Hunter. She nodded in response to her aunt's questions. "Forever and ever."_

Mai touched the mark on her side that was no longer the sign of Shadow Hunters. It was a different tattoo and it told her she was going to die.

_Mai was sleeping restlessly in the guest room at her grandpa's house. She had just carried Yuugi from Hokkaido to Domino city, taking the train, right after Yuugi's parents were taken away by the Shadow Men. _

_She was tossing and turning in her bed, moaning as if she were in pain and sweat plastered her golden blonde hair to her forehead. _

_She saw blood red eyes glow behind her close eye-lids; they invaded her dreams and stared at her coldly. She heard a quiet voice whisper something, but she couldn't hear it. Suddenly, she felt a deep burning sensation in her side that made her scream._

_She sat up with a start, panting and looking around the dark room for the terrifying red eyes. She twisted around to see if anything was behind her and hissed in pain, her hands flying to her side where her Shadow Hunter tattoo was. The pain was unbearable and it made her see spots in her vision. _

_She lifted her night shirt gently and gasped at what she saw on her side. Instead of the pure mark of the Shadow Hunters tattooed on her side, there was a new mark that looked to be tattooed on with blood. It glowed like coals on her skin and below the mark was a number._

"_G-grandpa…" she called weakly. "Grandpa!"_

Mai remembered that horrible night when she was told by her grandpa that she was cursed by a Shadow Man and the number below the tattoo was the number of days she had left to live. She cried and it woke Yuugi up, coming in to the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

He saw her tattoo and grandpa had to seal off all of his memories and knowledge of Shadow Hunters, cutting off his tie to the Shadow Realm as well so he would never be cursed the same way Mai was.

Mai smiled humorlessly, fully realizing that Yuugi may not be cursed like she was but he was cursed. Yami…he was Yuugi's curse. And looking back on it now, Mai knew that the one who placed the curse on her was Yami. Vindictive bastard, he was even jealous of Mai then. He wanted Yuugi and Mai was the only one who stood in Yami's way.

It has always been Mai, because whether she was cursed to the life of the Shadow Realm, she would always keep her promise to her beloved aunt.

"Mai?" a voice called her name.

She snapped out of her thoughts and saw that Yuugi and all of his friends were standing on the front porch of Yuugi's house, waiting for Mai. Yuugi looked at his cousin worriedly and Mai quickly dawned a smile. "What is it, Yuugi?"

"We need the key to get in," Bakura answered for him.

Mai nodded and walked up the steps to get to the front door, pulling out the key, the shaking in her hands barely noticeable.

The number below her tattoo now was only a two.

_Shadow Realm ~_

Yami sat on a grand throne that was made out of black marble. He was like a spot of black ink on a clean piece of white paper. He chuckled to himself that he must also be like a drop of ink on Yuugi's clean life. Ironic, huh?

Before him was an ornate chess board that was decorated with carved wooden figures, made to look life like. Off on his side of the chess board, now off the board, were three figurines. He picked up one of them that looked like Ryou and twirled it around his fingers before putting it back down.

There was one figurine that he wanted badly to hold, but it was all the way on the other side of the board. A figurine with spiked hair and wide eyes. Yes, he would have to bring Yuugi to him if he wanted the boy. There was another piece that was close to being on Yami's side of the board.

His dear old friend Mai. He chuckled and swept his hand over the chessboard. The surface was now clear and he could see anything he wanted to see. Mai's face was shown to him. She looked tired and older than she actually was. If he remembers correctly, Mai only has two days to live until she is forced to live in the Shadow Realm for eternity.

Yami didn't want to put that curse on Mai all those years ago, but he had too; it was the only way to get Yuugi. Mai was standing in his way and he needed someone to get rid of her. He needed to destroy Yuugi's crutch so he would fall into Yami's arms.

Yami scowled whenever Yuugi came into the picture with Mai and looked to be talking to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yami clenched his fist so tight that his nails penetrated his skin and he started to bleed. He didn't register the pain though.

Didn't Yuugi understand that everything he has done has been for love? That the reason he did all of this was to be with Yuugi? Why didn't Yuugi believe him when he told the boy he loved him? Yami needed Yuugi, the boy was much more important to him than Yuugi realizes.

Yami swept his hand over the surface again and it turned back into a chessboard. That didn't matter now, the last Game was about to begin and that would finely decide Yuugi's fate.

Yami smiled to himself; no matter what, he would win this Game and Yuugi would be his. No more playing nice.

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi stood in the middle of the hall of his old house, just staring down the stairs that would lead to the basement. His friends were standing behind him but they tried to look like their minds were preoccupied with something else so they weren't just staring at Yuugi.

Yuugi's legs couldn't seem to move. It was like someone had taken out the muscles and the bones. Yuugi didn't want to go down into that basement; he was truly afraid to take that first step down.

Yuugi had seen this place weeks ago, but it was just some sick illusion that Yami created as Yuugi's nightmare, he hadn't been down there for over ten years. Not since the day Mai found him huddled in the corning crying, his clothes torn up and his arms scratched as if he had been attacked by a cat.

The neighbors or Yuugi's family didn't know how to explain what happened to Yuugi. They made up the story that Yuugi's mom had died in an accident and Yuugi's dad had come home to beat Yuugi before committing suicide.

Yuugi's mom's side of the family never knew the world of Shadow Hunters and though Yuugi's parents to be lunatics, judging by their basement. The thought made Yuugi's blood boil but then again, by the way the basement looked, Yuugi wouldn't blame them.

Yuugi took one step down, and then another and another; his friends were one step behind him. Yuugi felt like he was stepping into some kind of weird dream when he took his first step into the basement. He felt like he wasn't really there, that he was still in the paper house. But the cold temperature of the room and the smell of dust told Yuugi this was not a dream.

There were protection charms lining the walls and stacked on every bookcase. It looked exactly the way it did in Yuugi's nightmare, except there was no phantom child wondering around the room with curious eyes and a wild imagination.

Yuugi heard Anzu draw in a surprised breath. "Whoa, will you look at this stuff?" Her fingers hovered over a jade pendant, as if she was afraid to touch it. "It's amazing, I'll bet some of this stuff is priceless."

Seto didn't have a problem touching this and that. He fingered a silver bell that Yuugi remembered holding when he was a child. "This is Chinese, you ring it to clear away evil spirits."

Bakura held up a bracelet of agate and gold beads. "This is Egyptian, seven strands, see? Malik told me that the number seven is sacred in Egypt." Then Bakura realized who he was talking about and put the bracelet down, reverting back to his depressed state.

Honda didn't seem to be as knowledgeable on all of these antiques as the rest of his friends but he recognized their worth. "All this stuff belongs in a museum."

Mai crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Yeah, and I'm the security guard telling you not to touch anything."

Everyone drew their hands to their chest all at once.

Yuugi really wasn't paying attention, he was still too absorbed on where he was. He felt like he was suffocating on the stale air and the presence of magic. Yuugi had to shake himself out of his thoughts and remember the purpose of being here. He had to start searching.

He walked over to his parents' desk. In the dream, the illusion created by Yami, everything was neat and in order, all of the notebooks were where they needed to be—easy convenience for Yuugi. But in real life, nothing was on the desk, not even an ink stain.

"Maybe on the shelves," he said to himself.

He tilted his head to read the spine of the books. He remembered the notebook being bound with faded brown leather and thick…

"Found it!" he cried triumphantly, making his friends give him strange looks.

"Found what?" Anzu asked, walking over to her shorter friend.

Yuugi didn't answer her right away, he looked through the notebook and saw his mother's neat, cursive writing and his father's thick, black writing. He looked back to the bookshelf and his eyes widened at what he saw.

"Oh no, there's not just one journal," Yuugi said. Mai's eyes widened when she realized what her cousin was looking for. She snatched the notebook out of his hand and flipped to the front cover.

In her aunt's script was: _Book 1 of 3_

"There are three," Mai finished for her cousin.

"We'll have to read through them all," Yuugi said dejectedly.

Mai snapped the book she was holding shut and took the other two down from the bookshelf. "Well, we better get started then, we can't waste any time."

Yuugi looked at his cousin like she had grown a second head. "But Mai…"

"We'll take turns reading them," Mai said before Yuugi could finish. "Bakura, Honda, and I will read through them first. You, Anzu, and Seto should get some rest."

Yuugi didn't argue with his cousin, but he was worried about her. She seemed to be really on edge lately and he couldn't figure out why. Mai was usually a calm person.

He slept for three hours, thankfully with no visits from Yami in his dreams.

The journals were strange. Mai had covered and translated over half of the journal Yuugi was reading but it still didn't make any sense to him. The journals were almost like step-by-step instructions on how to call up the Shadow Men.

'Shadow Men,' Yuugi thought. 'They're like the boogie man, an ancient myth used to scare children. The monster in hiding in your closet, watching you from the shadows. I only wish that they were just a trick of the light and would go away when daylight comes.'

Yuugi looked up and stared at the closed closet door. Yuugi blinked and he could swear he saw the door standing wide open and before him was an endless plane of darkness and ice. The Shadow Realm.

Did his parents call the Shadow Men because they wanted their power? That is what Yami told him but then again, he should know by now that he shouldn't trust everything that Yami has told him.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and went back to reading. There was a phrase in his father's heavy black writing that caught Yuugi's eye.

_**I would become a Walker between Realms myself, if the danger wasn't so great. But I have studied different methods, some more dangerous than others, but the one I consider most likely to succeed would be the circle of runes. **_

'Runes…' Yuugi thought, his mind trying to register the word that has become so familiar to him lately.

"_It's magic. A letter from a mystical alphabet, different ones used to serve different purposes. Very tricky business. Basically, don't be messing with it, if you don't understand it."_

Yuugi suddenly shot to his feet, the journal and the papers that were on his lap scattering across the hard wooden floor. "I got it!" he cried triumphantly. He turned on his heel and ran up the stairs to the main floor of the house.

Anzu and Honda sat there in silence, blinking in confusion. They shared dumb-founded looks and shrugged at each before getting up and following Yuugi up the steps.

By the time to two got there, Mai, Seto and Bakura were already up and Yuugi was explaining to them his plan. Honda heard blood come from Yuugi's mouth and he went stark white; this couldn't be good.

* * *

"So we just have to carve theses runes on a door," Yuugi re-explained when they were back down in the basement with a kitchen knife. "Then we stain them and say their names to charge them with power, and then we open the door."

Seto just stared at Yuugi, cupping his chin with his fingers as he thought for a moment. "And this will get us to the Shadow Realm."

"Hopefully," Yuugi said.

Seto's eyes widened and he immediately turned to Mai. She was the professional here, shouldn't she be taking care of this? Unfortunately for Seto, Mai didn't say a word and just listened to Yuugi.

"So what do we stain them with?" Bakura asked.

Yuugi shrugged casually. "Blood, what else?" Honda felt like he was going to be sick. It was obvious on his face and Yuugi noticed. "Don't worry, Honda, I'll take care of it." Yuugi began to pace as a thought formulated in his head. "We should probably use a smooth door, one that is good for drawing and carving. The door to the basement from the upstairs side should be good."

Yuugi was surprised how he was talking about this so easily.

"Are we really going to go through with this?" Honda asked. All of his friends threw him a look and Honda suddenly remembered why they were here; his right side felt empty without his best friend there. "Right…" he said weakly.

"I'm excited," Anzu said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Let's do this!" She ran up the basement stairs and waited there for her friends to catch up.

Yuugi stopped Mai before she could lift her foot to walk up. "Hey Mai, are you okay?" Yuugi asked.

Mai stood there for a moment, staring at her cousin blankly before putting on a goofy smile. "Of course I'm alright, Yuugi, why would you ask that?" Her words may have been sweet like honey but the way Mai jerked her arm out of Yuugi's grip made Yuugi feel uneasy.

"Um, no reason." He followed Mai up the stairs with the notebook tucked under his arm. Seto was holding a magic marker to mark the door first and Bakura held the kitchen knife to carve the outline in the door.

Mai snatched the book from Yuugi and began to recite instructions. "Okay, first you have to make two circles, one inside the other. You have to leave room between them for runes to go there."

Seto followed what Mai said and made two perfect circles with a good size ring for runes to be added on.

First was Dagaz, shaped like an hourglass on its side. It reminded Yuugi of the gambling rune that Yami used in the last Game. Dagaz represented twilight and dawn, when things are just changing.

Then Thurisaz, the thorn; it was shaped like a thorn sticking out of a stem.

Anzu made a comment on that room. A lot of old fairy tales had thorns in them If one gets pricked by a thorn or a spindle or a needled, then that person died, goes blind, or sleeps forever. Yuugi shivered at the morbidness.

Then there was Gebo. It stood for a lot of things: a gift, a sacrifice, death. It was shaped like an _X_.

Yuugi remembered drawing the rune of Nauthiz, a slanted _X_, on the closet door when he tricked Yami during the first Game. He still remembered that look of hurt and anger on his face when he realized what Yuugi had done.

Yuugi had a bad feeling about the Gebo rune. It stood for sacrifice. Something was going to happen, maybe not now but sometime in the future.

Next was Isa, the rune for the power of primal ice. It was just one straight line, up and down.

Kenaz, the torch, for primal fire; it was like an angle.

Raidho, for movement, traveling. For protection walking between the worlds. Shaped like an _R_.

Uruz, the ox…shaped like an upside down—

"I know what it looks like Mai," Seto snapped before Mai could finish her description. All of the friends stood in silence as Seto drew an upside-down _U_. They knew that rune; it was etched into their hearts. It was the rune that started this mess. They would never forget it; it was a painful reminder that their friends were stuck in the Shadow Realm and needed to be saved.

"So is that the last one?" Seto asked, almost in a whisper.

Mai nodded and Bakura began to carve out what Seto drew. Bakura made it look easier. His knife strokes were so precise as he made thick cuts but not too thick or deep. Yuugi was actually worried about how sharp the knife was, because the next time it would be used, it would be going through the flesh of his hand and not the wood of the door.

As Yuugi was worrying about how he would cut himself to get enough blood to trace the door, he barely noticed that Bakura sliced a clean cut across the meat of his thumb. By the time Yuugi realized what was happening, Bakura was outlining the carvings with crimson liquid.

His blood was as dark as Yami's eyes.

"Bakura!" Yuugi shrieked in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Do you really think that I would let you cut yourself when you are terrified of anything sharp?"

Yuugi was touched that Bakura thought of him but was also upset that he had to do that for him.

Their end product was surprising good for amateurs and Yuugi felt a sudden rush when he realized how close he was to his friends and how close he was to punching Yami just like he promised.

"So what now?" Anzu asked after standing in silence for a few moments. "How does this work?"

"Well, the thing with runes is that whatever you've written will become true," Mai explained, "It's like when we drew out nightmares for the first Game. We drew a picture of what we were afraid of, and then the pictures came true. Runes are the same."

Yuugi twirled his ring around his finger. "Yami said something like that to me. When I put on the ring and said the words, I made my own fate, he said. The words came true when I said them."

"So we did the first two steps," Seto said. "Now all we have to do is charge the runes with power by saying their names out loud and then…"

"And then look out," Bakura said cheekily. "Alright, let's get this started." They grabbed all of their things before chanting anything; they didn't know what would happen when the runes were activated, they may not have time to do anything.

They all changed clothes and to say the least, they all looked silly. They looked like they were ready to go camping or hiking in winter, all bringing an extra pair of clothes in a small backpack. In a fanny pack attached to Yuugi's belt was a mini survival kit. And when Yuugi said mini, he meant mini. It all managed to fit in a tin cup and still had room for more.

They had no idea what they would be facing in the Shadow Realm so they wanted to be prepared.

They all stood in a line facing the door, all of their hands holding on to each other's tightly. They all turned to each other and gave individual nods. Mai tugged at Yuugi's hand and whispered, "You should do it."

Yuugi nodded and turned back to the blood stained door. He had the sudden feeling to let go and run out of the house and flee back to Domino. But he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't do that to his friends. Also, he really wanted to punch Yami in the jaw.

It was now or never, no backing out now. He had been through too much hell to just back out now and be a coward. He would not let all of their sacrifice, ever since the first Game, to end here.

Yuugi let go of Bakura's hand, who was to his left, and Mai's hand, who was to her right, and took the notebook from his backpack. Yuugi began to read the names.

"Dagaz." _Rune of change. _"Thurisaz."_ The thorn_. "Gebo."_ For sacrifice_. Yuugi's voice began to shake but he swallowed and continued with an even stronger voice, now as if he was talking to Yami. "Isa."_ Primal ice_. "Kenaz."_ Primal fire_. "Raidho." _Traveling. _

Then finally, the last rune in the circle. It was ironic that the rune that started it all would be the one that would make or break their fate. Yuugi took a deep breath. 'This is it,' he thought to himself.

Then in a choked whisper, he spoke, "Uruz."

"_You invoked the rune of Uruz. You pierced the veil between worlds."_

With the last word, the blood on the door glowed like red foil and there was a sudden large gust of wind through the room as the door flashed like a strobe light.

_Shadow Realm ~_

Yami's head snapped up from where it had been resting on his hand. His eyes widened as he stared at the chessboard in front of him. It began to glow. Yami stared in shock and awe; he didn't expect Yuugi to act so quickly.

Yami blinked and leaned back on his throne, smiling like a lion. "Game start."

-/-

**Ranko: I like this chapter. **

**Yami: I finally made an appearance!**

**Ranko: Dude, it is only the third chapter, calm down. You're acting as if it has already been half of the story. **

**Yuugi: Tell Ranko what you thought about this chapter. What you liked, what you didn't like, constructive criticism. We love feedback!**

**Ranko: I really hope that I didn't overwhelm you all with so much information in one chapter! Please review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Ranko: Whoa, I can't wait for school to be over, then I'll be able to update more frequently. **

**Yami: You probably still won't be able to update that much since you will probably have AP homework and college visits to do.**

**Ranko: Do you live to ruin my good mood. **

**Yuugi: Must you always fight? Can we just answer reviews?**

**YinYang Moon Dragon:**** I can't tell you if Yami and Yuugi get together in the end but I am sure that you will like the ending! We all love Yami no matter how much of a jackass he is. Your Yami actually behaves, I'm jealous :( Anyway, please continue to review!**

**Phantom Luna:**** Don't you just hate it when that happens? Sorry, I just had to answer this review :)**

**Dinogirl:**** Haven't heard from you in a while :) I know, I love how mysterious and creepy Yami is sitting in front of the chess board. Please continue to review!**

**Great:**** I think I always look forward to your reviews just because they sound really well thought out. I'm glad that I could bring you this chapter because it seems like you really liked it. Don't worry, the punch Yuugi gives Yami is not one we will all soon forget. Please continue to review!**

**Temra Asakura:**** Aw! You should have reviewed sooner, you're so sweet! I feel very honored that you like the previous two stories and this one that you couldn't stop reading them! Makes me feel happy inside =3 Yes, Yami is just not evil, he is a bitch. Please continue to review!**

**lilpopsplash:**** Thank you! I thought that adding Mai's curse in the other two stories would have been too much also, it wouldn't have been fully appreciated or as dramatic. Please continue to review!**

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** Your reviews are always fun to read, its like its own little mini story. And yes, your Yami is more obedient than mine, at least he listens to you, threat or no threat *_* Please continue to review!**

**Richi the demon:**** ^^ I plan on it. **

**Cheshirecat23TheWantedOne:**** Holy crap! There is a Wonderland park? My mind was just blown! If I can go there once in my life I could die happy! Back on topic, train is going off the track, Bakura likes to pretend he's tough but really, he's a little sweetie pie. Goodness, I really want to put Bakura and Ryou back together right now! I have more in store for our sweet little Mai and my precious little Yuugi. I'm actually afraid to get rid of the Shadow Men, because they are freaking amazing! All of our love goes to the almighty Yuugi and the power of his puppy dog eyes! Yami is just a bitch who can get over himself…I say that with all the love in my heart =3 I hope that you get better, I hate being sick. Thank you for the amazing (long) review!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** You are just too nice! I love those moments when you just lose track of time and you read and read and read…anyway, I don't blame you for quitting When Life Gives You Lemons for a little while, it is a pretty heavy story. I can't wait to see how this turns our either, and trust me, there will be revenge ;). Thank you lots for pointing out my mistake; I love the praise I get but I also want someone to point out ALL of those stupid little mistakes I make, so thanks a lot! Please continue to review!**

**Ranko: Kill me now, I am about to die of exhaustion. **

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing. **

**Ranko: …**

**Yuugi: Enjoy?**

-/-

Everyone jumped a step back but there was no where for them to go; they were backed up against the hallway wall. Seto struck his head against a picture that was hanging on the wall, causing it to fall and the glass to shatter.

Yuugi had seen many bizarre things the past few weeks, Yami would tend to be the source of those situations, but this was beyond the normal bizarre. Maybe it was because the setting was so ordinary; they were just in a plain house. Or maybe because they were the ones who did it this time…on purpose.

The circle of runes began to flow like the coals of a fire, as bright as fireworks, and then it started spinning. It was dizzying to look at, but Yuugi couldn't seem to look away, it was as if his neck were frozen.

A dull roaring sound began. It reminded Yuugi so much of Ryou's nightmare that he almost had a break down right there. The sound seemed to come from the earth, vibrating the floor under Yuugi's feet. Then with a jolt, Yuugi realized that they had done this to themselves.

Yuugi's heart was beating relentlessly; it felt as if it were going to jump right out of his ribcage. The lights that were shooting from the door were beginning to give him a headache.

One final explosion of light and the roaring became a tearing sound, like paper that was being torn down the side. It was like nails on a chalkboard, it made Yuugi want to cover his ear and go far away from this place.

Then, thankfully, it all stopped.

One moment it was horrible light and a deafening screeching sound, then the next moment—perfect calm. It left a wringing in Yuugi's ears and spots were in his vision. The wheel of runes did not spin against the door.

But there was something that wasn't right. Dagaz, which had been in the twelve o'clock position was now at the two o'clock position and the runes burned likes coals just out of the fire in the wood.

Yuugi was breathing hard as if he had just run a race.

Mai's chest was rising and falling as she breathed hard. "We did it," she whispered, her mouth was pursed.

Bakura looked at the door and then at Mai. "Did we?"

Yuugi looked at the door just as warily and bit his bottom lip. Yuugi forced one foot to move in front of the other and he slowly reached for doorknob. He expected the metal to be hot, to singe his hand, but the metal wasn't even warm.

He twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open. He felt the tension in the room press against his back as his friends waited to see what was behind the closed door.

Instead of seeing the stairs down to the basement, there was utter blackness beyond the open doorway. Yuugi scrambled for his flashlight and switched it on. He took a step past the threshold and there was a little resistance. It was like he was walking through thick syrup. It made him stumble and hit the ground.

As he pushed himself up, he felt the ground. It was like asphalt; little rocks pressed into the skin of his palm and it felt rough. Yuugi's flashlight had caught a small yellow flower that was smashed. Yuugi squinted his eyes and shined his flashlight on it directly. It wasn't a flower, it was…_popcorn_?

As Yuugi continued to try and figure out why a smashed piece of popcorn was on the ground, his friends flicked on their flashlights and walked up behind him. Mai helped her cousin up as beams of light scanned the area.

"The _hell_?" Seto said in disbelief.

There was the sound of a door slamming behind them that made Yuugi flinch. It reminded him too much of the Shadow Game. He quickly turned around and saw that the door was no longer there, like it never existed.

"I don't believe this," Anzu said. The flashlight beams did little in the thick darkness, but it showed them enough to be left flabbergasted.

It was finally Honda who said something. "It didn't work! After all that and…it didn't even work! We're not even in the Shadow Realm."

Honda was right, they weren't in the Shadow Realm, they were in Wonderland Park.

Yuugi had a bad feeling about this.

"_Attention, park-goers,"_ a hauntingly familiar voice said through the megaphone. It was shocking to hear any sound in the thick silence and that voice was not one that Yuugi wanted to hear. It couldn't be…

"_This is your friendly Shadow Man speaking. I ask that you have fun in Wonderland Park and explore!"_

Anzu whimpered and looked around everywhere for where the source of the voice may be coming from.

Before the voice could say anything more, Yuugi yelled, "Enough of this, show yourself Yami and let's play your stupid little Game! And I want my friends back! That's the whole reason we're here, right?"

There was a slight pause before the voice said, _"All in good time, little one_._"_ And then the transmitter clicked off and they were left alone again in silence.

"This can't be happening," Honda said under his breath. "I can't believe this, it looks just like Wonderland Park."

It _did _look exactly like Wonderland Park. The same wrought iron fences. The same brightly colored benches. The same plastic flowers that were all over the place. But Yuugi just couldn't accept it. It _looked_ like Wonderland, but there was something off about it. It just felt wrong.

"Yami can make anything look like anything," Yuugi told Honda.

"I feel like it's just like the Shadow Game," Mai said thoughtfully. "Who has all had nightmares about amusement parks?" Hesitantly, everyone raised one of their hands.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Bakura asked. "Defeat this nightmare like we did the rest of them?"

Mai shook her head. "I don't think this Game is going to be like that."

"So what do we do now?" Anzu asked, her face a pale white from terror.

"What Yami said we should do," Yuugi spoke up. "Explore."

Everyone seemed hesitant of that idea but after a few beats they all nodded and started to walk around the park. It certainly did look authentic. They crept through the silent park, though it was once full of life and children were running around and crying their excitement.

Suddenly Anzu stopped and she started to shine her flashlight around. "Do you guys hear that? It sounds like water running?"

It looked as if Seto were about to comment that it wasn't possible and she was just hearing things, but then they all heard it. It was a soft and gently sloshing sound.

Then Yuugi realized what it was. "It's the pond in the Mad Hatter's Tea Party." It was just up ahead. It was dark, like all the other attractions but Yuugi recognized the slanted entrance and the bright green and yellow sign.

When they reached the little pond that they had visited earlier that day, the water was running and swirling around its circular channel. Yuugi felt his heart beat erratically in his chest.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Honda said, shining his flashlight on the artificially blue colored water.

Mai's flashlight caught something leaning against the booth. "Well, well, what do we have here?" It was a fishing rod; Mai took it.

"Okay, now I have a very bad feeling about this," Honda said; Bakura elbowed him in the ribs to tell him to be quiet.

Yuugi just couldn't shake the feeling that this was just _too_ obvious, even for Yami; it was too inviting, like he was asking them to play a friendly…game.

"Shall I?" Mai asked. "Or shall I?"

"You're finding some enjoyment in this, aren't you?" Seto asked humorlessly.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Listen guys, this was obviously set up by the Shadow Men so this is the only way to find out what kind of Game they are playing here."

As much as everyone hated to admit, Mai did have a good point. When everyone didn't say anything, she smiled in triumph and lowered the rod into the dark, rushing water. Everyone braced themselves; they weren't stupid, they knew to expect the worse when it came to the Shadow Men.

The line remained slack; Mai jiggled the pole a little bit as Yuugi came up with the worst possible things that could be pulled out of that pond. Dead kittens. Severed hands. Mutant marine life. Yuugi quickly shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts, he didn't want to give Yami any ideas.

Finally, the line was pulled taunt as it snagged something. "A bite," Mai said, she tugged and pulled, but it seemed to be caught on something.

"Mai—" Yuugi said.

"Come on," Mai muttered under her breath, not paying any attention to Yuugi's warning tone. "What's wrong with this thing?"

"Mai, _stop_," Yuugi tried again.

Then the water erupted like a geyser and Anzu screamed. The water splashed all over them and then when their vision was cleared of the murky water, they all saw it and Anzu screamed again.

There was a man that was holding Mai from behind, with his hands wrapped around her throat. But there was one difference between a normal man and the man that was holding Mai.

The thing had no head.

Its body ended at its shoulder, with a stump of a neck and it was trying to drag Mai under the water. Mai was kicking with all her might and trying to get the thing off of her.

All of these thoughts passed through Yuugi's head in a second, but that was long enough for that thing to get Mai near the edge of the pond and towards the murky water. Before Yuugi even knew what he was doing, he was rushing towards the headless man and grabbed the thing's arm with both hands.

To his horror, Yuugi's fingers sunk into the flesh as if it were nothing more than sponge. It was sticky, like bread dough and Yuugi was so astonished that he couldn't even find it in his mind to be terrified. All he could think was how much it stunk.

When Yuugi pulled his hand around, the gunk was under his fingernails like mud.

All around him, people were shouting and he heard Anzu screaming again. After a while, Yuugi recognized that he was shouting too. The thing now had Mai by her collar and Bakura was fumbling for his pocket knife. During the struggle to get Mai out of the monster's grip, his knife splashed into the dark water.

Mai was struggling to get her first layer of clothing off that was what the thing was holding on to, but the bottoms were holding. Yuugi didn't want to touch the headless creature's rubbery arm again but Yuugi soon found himself lunging forward and latching on.

The creature was in the water and was currently pulling Mai down to follow him, her head dunked in the water and Yuugi was staring at its neck-stump. Nothing about this creature was pretty to look at. The flesh that was seen past the rags of clothing were swollen and bloated.

The screaming and shouting was still going on and none of their shouting was doing any good. Without thinking, Yuugi jumped over the booth and over the channel, one leg dangling into the rushing water and standing behind the headless thing. He grabbed the thing from behind and shouted, "Pull!"

He grabbed the thing around its waist and felt things squashing and shifting around through the thin layer of clothing the thing was wearing. He honestly didn't want to think about what he was touching, or the fact that his cheek was pressed against its wet back, or the _smell_. Good God, the smell.

He just focused on pulling it away from Mai while his friends tried to pull Mai away from it. But this thing was rooted into the water and it wasn't going to budge. Then he felt something give. The headless body lurched forward and landed on Yuugi. Mai was free.

Yuugi pushed the thing off of him and scrambled as far away from it as possible. The arms flailed for a moment, as if the thing didn't know what to do now, and then as if someone had tugged at its feet, it disappeared back into the water.

There was a moment of silence, all that was heard was their ragged breathing.

Once Yuugi was sure he could feel his legs again, he jumped over the channel and towards his cousin, who was leaning against Honda's shoulder, almost in his lap. Everyone else was gathered around them on their knees.

They all just sat on the asphalt for a few moments, still trying to process everything that had happened so quickly.

"Whatever that thing was…" Seto said, taking a pause to take a deep breath. "I don't think it was human."

Anzu shook her head. "No, that's what happens to the human flesh after its been underwater for a long time. It's like soap. My dad had a mask like that once but he got rid of it because is scared me."

Bakura tried to look annoyed but he was too tired and couldn't muster the energy to work up a proper glare. "So that was your fault, it was your nightmare."

Anzu thought about that for a moment. "You think so? If that's the case, the worse is over now, for me anyway."

"If your dad had a mask like that, it couldn't have been headless," Yuugi said to himself.

Anzu stared at her friend confusedly. "What?"

"That monster wasn't exactly what you had nightmares about, I think Yami is putting his own little twist on things this time," Yuugi said. "And he said he practiced good gamesmanship."

But still, Yuugi couldn't shake that feeling that that thing was familiar to him. Sure it was soaked and stinky and gross, but there was something about its clothing that was familiar. Its tall frame and pale skin, he wore sleek black clothes and…Oh God.

"Oh my, God…" Yuugi said just under his breath.

"What?" Mai said. "What's wrong?"

"Soren," Yuugi said. "That was Soren."

Everyone stared at Yuugi in shock for a moment, almost as if he had lost his mind. It couldn't be Soren. The last time they had seen him was in his apartment, tied to a chair and telling them to leave, to afraid to even speak Yami's name. The one who was controlled by the Shadow Man, the shy boy who didn't want to hurt them but ended up kidnapping Anzu.

"That wasn't Soren," Honda said, almost to himself.

"But it was!" Yuugi shouted, beginning to hyperventilate. "It was him without a head! In Honda's dream, he saw Jounouchi without a head! What if we find his body like that? What if we find all of our friends like that? They might be here, in this park! Oh my, God, what if Ryou—!"

Bakura slapped Yuugi.

Yuugi looked at Bakura in shock, it was clearly meant to calm him down and snap him out of his panic attack, it didn't even hurt, but Bakura had_ slapped_ him. Yuugi gave a small hiccup and felt his heart rate go back down to normal.

"Yuugi, we understand that it is bad," Bakura said in a soothing calm voice. "It's a bad situation and none of us are saying that it isn't. But we have to stay calm or we'll all be dead. Yami will win this sick new Game he has dreamt up for us and we will all be goners. Do you understand me? We have to keep our cool and stick together."

Yuugi nodded numbly.

Bakura put his hands on Yuugi's shoulders to still them, Yuugi hadn't even realized they were shaking. "Right?"

Yuugi nodded again, this time more firmly. "Right."

"We have to stay calm, for our friends' sake, so we can bring them back home safe," Bakura said. He turned towards the rest of the group and said, "We need weapons, just in case any more freaks show up. I lost my knife and we have nothing else."

"Weren't there picks and axes, and stuff like that in the mine ride today. I saw them this afternoon, we could use those," Honda suggested.

Before they decided to travel to the mine ride, they all decided to wash up first. They took turns guarding the bathrooms while others got cleaned up. As Yuugi stood guard with Bakura and Seto he noticed a squashed cigarette butt on the ground.

He admired it for a few moments; he couldn't help but praise Yami for making this place as realistic and life-like as possible, like he was a painter and this was his canvas, down to the very last detail.

Though, that didn't mean there weren't nasty surprises waiting around every corner. A half an hour here and one of them nearly died. This was Yami's playing field and there were a new set of rules here. Yuugi hadn't realized how nice Yami was being when it came to making the other Games' rules.

In Yami's world, illusions were real, real enough that no amount of disbelief could make them disappear.

And they haven't really seen any of the Shadow Men yet, so that was a plus.

As they headed towards the mine ride, Mai stopped suddenly and tilted her head to the side as if she were catching sound. "I hear music."

-/-

**Ranko: So sorry for updating late, you guys! There is only one explanation: my life hates me right now. At least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger. **

**Yami: Yeah, she was thinking of ending it when Yuugi realized it was Soren who was headless. **

**Yuugi: So if anyone was wondering where Soren went, now you know. Sorry Inspiration's Wonderer, we still love you!**

**Ranko: Please leave nice long reviews and please point out any spelling or grammatical errors that you may spot. Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ranko: So sorry I am late on the update, at least it feels like I'm late. School life has been really crappy lately but it is almost over and then I will be updating a lot more frequently instead of every other week. **

**Yami: Okay, stop your bitching and let's answer some reviews. **

**Yuugi: Since she is tired, Ranko doesn't think she will answer that many reviews today. **

**SincerelyChristina:**** I know, I felt bad for Soren too. By the end I was like, "Hell! Why did I do that?" But anyway, every little correction counts so I thank you for that, please continue to review!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Where have you been?! I have been wondering where you have gone! …I'm kidding, sorry if that freaked you out. Anyway, thank you so much! What do you mean by monotone? When have I become monotone? Oh well, please continue to review!**

**Phantom Luna:**** Thank you :)**

**Kyo lover with little sanity:**** Yes, I believe Yami went off the deep end a long time ago :) Thank you and please continue to review!**

**CandyFiend:**** Very good point (about the cliffhanger). Please continue to review :)**

**lilpopsplash:**** You make me feel so loved, thank you; you are going to give me a big head oiuaogubnasloiuboibsgosudb (head became top heavy and fell on key board) Oh man, I need sleep :) Please continue to review!**

**Cheshirecat23TheWantedOne:**** You know, I have to give Yuugi credit. He may have been freaking out but considering everything he has been through, he is staying strong. I think he has the right to freak out and have a melt down every once in a while, you know ;) Yes, that was Soren, sorry :( But on a happy note, your right, no one got sucked in a toilet…Malik will never live that down. They be gettin' them weapons to fight them bitches (too much time hanging out with my friends who think they are black…am I racist?). I hate writing these freaky chapters at night because they always scare me! Thank you once again for making my day and please continue to review!**

**Great:**** Your reviews always make me happy :) I'm glad you liked this chapter because I didn't think it was the best, thank you though. Was last chapter a cliffhanger? I don't know, oh well. Please continue to review!**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

"…ou. Ryou? Ryou, can you hear me?"

Ryou groaned as a soft voice awoke him from his blissful state of unconsciousness. He wanted to keep his eyes closed; he wanted to continue to be in the place he knew was safe and secure. But the voice was so soft and worried he couldn't do anything but answer it's call.

Ryou cracked one eye open and squinted it shut immediately whenever his vision was met by a bright light. He put his hand in front of his face and peeled both eyes open. What he saw was a figure leaning over him; all Ryou could make out was the white hair and burgundy eyes.

The boy gasped. "Bakura!" he cried and launched up, attaching himself to the person. He squeezed the man tightly and became alarmed when the man did not respond to Ryou's embrace. "Bakura…?" he said hesitantly, and then he noticed the tan skin under his pale hands.

Ryou gasped and quickly jumped away. Before him sat Akefia, a very solemn expression on his face. Ryou felt his heart ache at the sight. Ryou was no longer afraid of Akefia now that he actually knew the man for who he really was; he was a lost little boy whose family and brother had been taken from him when he was very young.

He was homeless for years until a gang of thieves took him in and used Akefia as their slave. They used him to cook and clean and for the men's own sick pleasures. Whenever the thieves first tried to use Akefia for his body, the boy lashed out and a thief took a knife and sliced his face. That is how Akefia got his scar.

Ryou knew all of this for a very long time, what he didn't know was that before Marik was Akefia's Shadow Man brother, he was also his blood brother. Though Ryou did not know Marik's story and what happened to him after he was taken from his home, and he couldn't ask Malik since the boy had taken a vow of silence and refused to utter a word about it.

Now that Ryou knew who Akefia really was, instead of the scary Shadow Man that stalked him in the paper house, Ryou tried to be a little more sensitive with Akefia's feelings. Akefia wanted Ryou to stay with him forever though Ryou told him countless times that Yuugi and Bakura would save him and he would leave this place forever. After Ryou said that, Akefia would become sad and refuse to talk to him for days. This made it hard on Ryou since Akefia was the only person he could actually talk to here.

Sometimes Ryou wondered if he was Akefia's only friend…ever.

Ryou tried to find his voice to comfort the Shadow Man; Akefia was probably the most sensitive of the brothers. Akefia looked hurt and Ryou just couldn't bear to see him like that, mostly because his face was so similar to Bakura's and Ryou just kept imagining Bakura's face looking so defenseless and alone.

Finally he opened his mouth and spoke, "I thought you were someone else." He said it meekly and flinched when the words came out, knowing they sounded wrong and he saw how Akefia's eyes became even more dim at his words.

"Yeah, I know," Akefia said with a sad smile.

_Elsewhere ~_

The music seemed to be coming from a far corner of the park and Yuugi could make out a faint glimmer of multi-colored lights shine through the trees, about where the arcade was. The music had about the same tune as "A Very, Very Un-Birthday to You" from the animated version of Alice in Wonderland.

Yuugi had noticed that all the other rides and stores were dark and lifeless, after a while Yuugi had gotten used to the silence and found comfort in it. Now there was life and light; normally, someone would be happy if they found something that was active and alive in a place where they were lost. But then again, most people didn't get lost in the Shadow Realm either.

The fact that this one attraction was the only one that was lit gave Yuugi an uneasy feeling.

Everyone stopped and just listened for a while; Yuugi vaguely wondered if they also saw the lights in the distance that seemed to be coming from the arcade. Before he had much time to dwell on it, another sound reached his ears.

It was a sound that was closer than the distant music that was playing from across the park, but this sound was slowly growing distant, as if someone was running away from them. But then Yuugi realized that it was someone running away from them.

It was the sound of footsteps as someone ran away, child-like footsteps, or dwarf-like footsteps. Everyone else seemed to register what the sound was at the same time and they all whirled in the direction where it was coming from, shining their flashlights in that direction.

They caught plastic, human-sized flowers that appeared to have faces of human quality; yet another reference from the animated version of Alice in Wonderland.

Then someone shouted, "There!" Yuugi didn't know who, and they all turned and looked. They tried to catch the running object with their flashlights but it was so fast that they couldn't keep the light trained on it. Despite the size, the thing, whatever it was, could move fast.

Finally, it disappeared behind the gate of the Caterpillar roller coaster ride.

There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to register the strange occurrence, then Seto scratched his head. "Um…" Yuugi had never heard the man use fillers before in his sentences, his words always came out smooth and confident, but this situation obviously left him confused and at a loss for words. "You think we should go after it?"

Mai shook her head. "No, it wasn't bothering us and we aren't armed yet. Let's go to the mine ride and then we can investigate."

"But what the hell was that thing?" Bakura asked, frazzled.

"Kinda looked like a monkey," Honda said thoughtfully, to no one in particular. "I mean, it was really little, what else could it be?"

Suddenly Yuugi thought of the dream he had on the train; he was in the elevator and there was a dwarf-man in a mask holding his arms out to Yuugi.

_Can we take you? We can carry you. _

It sounds like the kind of thing a Shadow Man might say but there was no way that little thing could be one of those creatures of the night. Shadow Man were hauntingly, otherworldly beautiful.

"Well whatever it was, we should watch out for more of them; we don't know if they are dangerous or not," Mai said.

When they got to the mine ride they shined their flashlights around to check out the scene and what they could use. They saw the control box and a miniature train car that was sitting by the platform, waiting to be boarded.

They made a quick decision that they would just walk and follow the tracks; they still didn't know what Game the Shadow Men were playing and they didn't want to walk into a trap.

They shined their flashlights in through the mouth of the cave before entering and the light barely got through the darkness of the ride. Going into the cave was a lot like being swallowed; Yuugi watched as the circle of the night that came from the mouth of the cave was slowly growing distant and finally disappeared. Yuugi felt trapped and that Yami could easily get to them now.

Yuugi saw the outline of small chubby bodies in the darkness and quickly turned their flashlight on the image. There were three giant, fat mice with sledgehammers and fake dynamite, at least Yuugi hoped it was fake.

"We could use the sledgehammers," Anzu suggested.

Honda shook his head. "There too heavy, we wouldn't be able to use them properly."

As they followed the tracks, the scenes became more frequent and Yuugi noticed that even though this was a child-friendly ride, it still mimicked an authentic mine. There was one scene that showed a tiny mouse paw that was squeezed through boulders after a mouse had been trapped under the debris of an explosion. Yuugi didn't remember it being this dark.

He couldn't help but think that Yami had something to do with this.

Yuugi started to hate the scenes more and more as they became more graphic and disturbing. It made him uncomfortable that they may start moving at any moment.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, Bakura shouted, "Look, picks!" It reverberated throughout the whole cave and made Yuugi flinch; it gave him the urge to look behind him.

Bakura was already jumping onto the scene with a bunch of mice leaning against picks and other mining equipment. He started to wiggle one out of the one of the mice's grip. The one Bakura chose was blunt on both sides but heavy and still had a small point of one end.

Yuugi was a little afraid of letting Bakura have that, knowing the damage the rebel could do with that tool.

Everyone else jumped on and picked up a weapon…or pic and started swinging them around for practice. Yuugi picked up a hammer sized pic and swung it left to right. He felt the ground give a slight tremor under him and he wondered if it was real or if he was just off balance.

"Did anyone else feel that?" he asked warily.

Everyone exchanged glances with one another and Mai stomped her foot on the platform they were standing on to test it. "I don't think this thing is sturdy enough."

They quickly hopped off and Honda shined his flashlight in the direction they came. "Follow the yellow brick road."

Honda took the lead with Anzu as Honda whistled, "I've been working on the railroad," the sound bouncing of the walls of the fiberglass cave.

Yuugi kept repeating in his mind, 'We can't get lost,' to reassure himself and calm his nerves. For some reason, he felt a pressure on his back, like he was being watched and he did not like it one bit.

Suddenly the whistling stopped from ahead of him and Yuugi snapped his head up in alarm. Honda and Anzu had stopped and were staring at the ground, perplexed.

"Um, I think we have a problem here," Honda said.

Everyone rushed forwards to meet Honda and Anzu. Yuugi looked past the two and gasped.

The tracks split into two ways.

"What the hell?" Bakura said in frustration. "This was not here before…was it?" He turned towards Yuugi who shook his head, just as confused and frightened as everyone else.

Mai shook her head as well. "Yeah, I would have noticed if it had split."

Anzu furrowed her eyebrows together and turned towards Mai. "But from our direction, it wouldn't have looked like it was splitting. It would just be two tracks joining."

Mai sighed. "Joining, splitting, it doesn't matter. I would have noticed."

Anzu was starting to get red from frustration. "But it was behind us in the _dark_!" she yelled.

"_I would have noticed!_"

"Guys, calm down," Honda said.

"I am not a guy!" both girls said at once.

Honda huffed. "Okay, fine then! Fucking yell at me too when I did nothing wrong!"

"Do you want to start with me?" Mai said, turning an evil eye towards Honda.

"Hey, Miss High-and-Mighty," Bakura said in a low and sharp tone. "Shut up and quit acting like you know everything and that you are so high above us that we are just dirt."

Mai spluttered. "Okay, your saying that to _me?_ What about mister Kaiba over there who is always stomping on you guys with the heel of his boot. Are you getting on to me just because I am a girl?"

Seto scowled. "What the hell do you mean by that? I actually treat others with respect!"

"You know what—?"

"_SHUT UP!_"

Everyone jumped and shut their mouths, turning towards the source of the shout; Yuugi. "Are you all fucking crazy!" Yuugi shouted in frustration. "We don't have time to argue, we don't have time for anything! Maybe the track split before or maybe it didn't, that doesn't matter! Yami is doing this just to screw with us, he wants us to fight! So quit acting like children and let's figure this out!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone just stared at Yuugi's red face as the boy tried to regain his breath from shouting. They were flabbergasted by Yuugi's sudden charge over the situation.

"Listen, I know we passed by this wall," Yuugi said in a calmer tone, pointing to his right. "So if we follow that path it should take us out." Yuugi kept to himself that when Yami was involved, nothing was as it seemed. That tremor from earlier, maybe the ground had moved.

They all started towards the right path and Mai said, "If this is the right way then we should see the mouse trapped under the boulders soon."

They didn't.

There was a knot in Yuugi's stomach that had formed when they came across the split path; that not was getting tighter and tighter as they walked down the tunnel of the cave. The right-hand wall was blank and it felt to Yuugi that the walls were slowly closing in on them.

He felt like he was back in the paper house; he had wished that he would never have to have that feeling of being lost like this ever again.

Yuugi was relieved when they ran into the proof. They rounded a slight curve and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw something in the path ahead of them. He quickly shined his flashlight on it and saw…an ore car. It was just sitting there, like it was waiting for them and it gave Yuugi the chills.

It was a real ore car as far as Yuugi could tell. He studied it from afar as his heart rate slowed down back to a normal pace. It had rounded corners and four solid wheels set under it close to its center. It smelt of rusty iron.

"I don't think this is a part of the ride," Honda observed.

No one even bothered to comment.

Bakura, along with Seto and Mai, tried to push it along the track but it didn't budge, it just clanged.

Yuugi had the wild impulse to jump in, curl up in a ball, and never come out.

Seto sighed. "Okay, who's nightmare is this?" he asked after a couple more tries pushing the car along the tracks.

Everyone waited until Bakura raised his hand sheepishly. "I guess its mine, I'm not a big fan of enclosed spaces. I mean, I'm just a little claustrophobic but I have never had nightmares about it. But I guess if I had to come up with the worst way to die, I would say cave-in."

"Alright, we should probably go back and follow the other path," Mai suggested, beginning to backtrack.

Considering they were retracing their steps, the shaft should have opened up again, but it didn't**. **Now Yuugi knew that the walls were closing in on them and the ceiling started to get lower until it was brushing the top hairs of Seto's head.

Seto ran his hand along the cold, stone wall. "Definitely not fiberglass." It wasn't fiberglass, it was beautiful rock with veins of milky white and a soft orange, like the setting sun. Imbedded deep in the rock was a small glimmer of different colored stones. They were in a real gem mine and it was getting _cold_.

Bakura was walking beside Yuugi and the shorter boy saw Bakura's jaw was set tightly and his shoulders were square. His eyes were not focused though.

It was dam now and the walls felt icy and dirty. When Yuugi touched them, his hands came away dirty.

They came to a place where the roof opened up into a sudden cavern, a horizontal shaft that was about thirty feet up. Judging by the smoothness of the rock along the walls of this shaft, it looked as if water had once run through it.

"We could climb it…" Bakura said more to himself than any one else.

Yuugi quickly shook his head. "No, we'd break our necks and there could be anything, or anybody, up there." Something cold struck Yuugi's cheek as he said that; it was cold and icy and _wet_. Then another drop in his hair.

"Does anyone hear that?" Anzu suddenly said.

At first, Yuugi didn't hear anything and then it came. It was the sound of water dripping musically onto rock. They were slow drops with a steady rhythm that seemed to echo from so far away.

"Shit, we really are lost," Mai said.

Bakura's eyes suddenly went wide. "Uh-oh."

Everyone turned towards him and Mai narrowed her eyes. "What is 'uh-oh?'"

Instead of snapping back at Mai, Bakura said, "Well, I just remembered a nightmare I did have in a cave once."

"It didn't flood did it?" Honda asked.

Bakura shook his head. "No, it just collapsed."

Mai snorted. "Well, if _that's_ all we have to worry about. I don't think this is the right time to talk about this Bakura. Yami or the other Shadow Man could be tapping into our thoughts."

"Bakura," Yuugi said desperately. "Did it collapse on you or were you just trapped?"

Before Bakura could answer the ground started to rumble. But it wasn't the ground, it was the ceiling, the walls, everything was shaking violently. Loose pebbles and debris were bouncing and falling from the ceiling because of the vibrations.

"Where is it coming from?" Bakura asked, shining his flashlight in every direction.

Yuugi happened to look up and saw rocks the size of soccer balls fall from the horizontal shaft. "_Run!_" He tripped over his feet as he and everyone else quickly ran from standing under the shaft.

"Come on!" Seto shouted. "We have to go!"

"It's all coming down!" Mai shouted over the rumble.

Yuugi started forward to follow his friends who had ran in the opposite direction from the shaft but then the floor started to shake, causing Yuugi to lose his balance and fall against a far wall; he couldn't see straight. He hit his hand against the rock wall and his vision blurred.

He saw the images of his friends grow blurry and rocks falling between them. He heard the faint sound of shouting that sounded a lot like Mai's. Yuugi pushed himself to his feet, the floor still shaking and his legs trembling. Then the stone floor collapsed under his feet and he fell down a vertical shaft a lot like the one he saw earlier.

"_Yuugi!_" was the last thing he heard before his mind went blank.

* * *

He was alone, all alone in complete darkness with only the sound of silence to keep him company. His throat was dry, like he had just swallowed dust. And he was terrified.

All of this went through his head before he even remembered who he was or where he was. It was like he had just woken up from a life-like nightmare and he didn't know what was real and what wasn't. It was like those times when he felt someone was watching him from the dark shadows of his room but when he flicked the lights on, nothing was there.

But this wasn't a dream he could wake up from and there was no bedside light; he didn't have Mai or grandpa to comfort him. He was all alone.

"Mai!" The shout came out scratchy and pathetic. It didn't echo like it did in the tunnels and there was no air current to cool his hot forehead. He was in an enclosed place. The opening of the shaft he fell down must have been blocked off by some of the other falling rocks.

"Mai! Bakura! Seto! Honda! Anzu!" Yuugi shouted, his already raw throat aching. "Anyone?"

Then he sat perfectly still. He didn't know where he was and he was afraid to move from this spot.

'If I don't move, it won't get me,' he thought. It was a ridiculous thought, of course, but whether it was or wasn't, his muscles were locked, so tense that they were shaking. He wished that he was brave like Mai or Bakura, even Honda was brave.

Yuugi couldn't hear a sound, not even a rumble or a pebble falling, just the sound of his breathing.

Now he was panicking.

'Come on, just think of something, Yuugi. What would Mai or Bakura do if they were in this situation?' a confident and strong voice in his head spoke. Then another more meek and timid voice responded, 'But I'm scared.'

Yuugi couldn't think, he couldn't _move_. He was too afraid. It was so dark; he could feel his eyes widened as they tried to adjust to the light, or lack of.

Anyone could be in the shadows; anyone could be hiding in plain sight right in front of Yuugi, he just couldn't see that person because of the blinding darkness. Anyone could come at Yuugi from any direction; all Yuugi knew was that he was surrounded by darkness. Yuugi had learned not to trust things he couldn't see.

The panic was now a full out riot in his mind. It was to the point that Yuugi thought he could hear someone else in the vicinity with him. He completely forgot where he was, though; the Shadow Realm.

'But I fell in alone; this is a small place, I can feel the walls around me. I'm alone, nothing's in here with me. Nothing can get in. I'm safe.' Yuugi didn't know who he was trying to convince.

Then he heard it. It was the sound of a boot scraping against rock and a small pebble skidding across the stone floor.

Yuugi shot up on his knees, twisting around to face where the noise had come from. The faint sound was lost past the blood rushing in his ears and his frantic heartbeat.

Oh, God, there was no way…

"Ragnarok," said a musical voice, like water running against stone, "means both a rain of dust and the end of the world. To the people who discovered the runes, I mean. Don't you think that is interesting?"

-/-

**Ranko: Now that's what I call a cliffhanger!**

**Yami: Oh, God, why do I have to be a jackass?**

**Ranko: You know I was thinking the same thing.**

**Yami: What is that supposed to mean?**

**Ranko: Want me to spell it out?**

**Yami: (quickly silenced by hand-to-mouth from Yuugi)**

**Yuugi: Please review and tell Ranko what you thought of this chapter. Your favorite part, your least favorite part, general comments, constructive criticism! Thank you! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Ranko: I bring forth an update!**

**Yami: That was rather normal…for you, anyway. **

**Ranko: Yeah, my creative muses aren't really working with me today when it comes to introductions. **

**Yuugi: You want to answer reviews?**

**Ranko: Hell-to-the-yes!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** I am the Queen of Cliffhangers! Anyway, I got you now; I understand what you mean and I agree! This story has been lacking in real action so far, but that will change soon! Is Yami the voice? Is Yami stalking Yuugi? …Yeah, probably . Please continue to review!**

**AmerillaRose:**** What can I say? I'm the Queen of the Cliffhangers! Aw, poor Yuugi; he is about to have a mental breakdown! Anyway, random note: I watched the anime that is used as your profile picture (Sukisho). I love it! It is now one of my favorite animes! Okay, enough of my randomness, please continue to review!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** I know, why does Yami have to be a big meanie? Poor Bakura, who would have thought he would have a phobia like that? Thank you and please continue to review!**

**Daemon Luciel:**** I know, I am such a mean person! Oh well, abusing the characters is fun anyway! (Yuugi: …What?) Please continue to review!**

**Phantom Luna:**** I mistreat and abuse Yuugi so much; I know I'm a bad person. Yes, that was Yami :) Please continue to review!**

**YugiFanP3:**** Thanks a million for reviewing! You made my day! Thank you!**

**Great:**** I'll make sure that Yuugi hits Yami really hard, don't worry about that ;) Thank you so much and please continue to review!**

**visitor:**** Yuugi appreciates the thought, he is happy that you thought about him and wants to give him a weapon to defend himself. Anyway, thank you and please continue to review!**

**LobaKarina15:**** Is it bad that I'm happy I scared you? I suck at writing suspense so that is the only reason I say that. Anyway, thank you so much and please continue to review!**

**Seth the Inu:**** Oh, thank you so much for giving my first story a chance, you don't know how much that means to me ^^ (that was not sarcasm). I'm glad that you have enjoyed my stories and it made me very happy when to read how much you appreciated my work. I cannot think you enough for the support and the kind words. Oh, and you should check out the Forbidden Game series, it is very good. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**Yuugi: You answered all of the reviews…**

**Ranko: I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened.**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

"…Yami," Yuugi whispered; it felt like he was falling. He hated how weak and afraid his voice sounded; he sounded weak and defenseless against Yami. "Where are you?" he asked more sharply.

"Right here," a bright red light blossomed.

As Yuugi's eyes adjusted to the sudden light, he tried to prepare himself to see Yami again. But he was always a shock to his senses, no matter how he prepared himself, Yami always surprised Yuugi; he was a shock…a beautiful shock.

Yuugi found it amazing that every time he saw Yami, it was like he saw something new about him. Yuugi hated how everything about Yami was so perfect, _too_ perfect and too beautiful to be human; but then again, Yami wasn't human.

The red light turned his blood red eyes a strange shade of pink that kept Yuugi mesmerized. It made his pale skin glow like fire one snow. It threw shadows across his face and made his distinct features even sharper. It cast an unholy glow around him, which was ironic. Yami was as beautiful as sin and as haughty as a fallen angel.

He always wore black, like a second skin, ever since Yuugi met him at that game shop downtown. He wore leather pants and a vest…no shirt, which should have made Yuugi uncomfortable, but it didn't. Then Yuugi noticed that the unnatural red light was coming from the torch he was holding.

Yuugi felt like he needed to do something when he saw Yami's face, but he couldn't remember what.

"You've invited me to come—and here I am," Yuugi said, standing across from Yami.

Yami smiled and crossed his arms over his chest, as if they were old friends having a normal conversation. "Yes, and you're off to a bad start. Couldn't even avoid this simple trap. Don't even know what Game you're playing."

Yuugi knew exactly what Game they were playing. It was the same Game he and Yami have been playing ever since they first met in the game shop. It was a strategic game of chess that had went on for far too long. "Whatever it is, it's the last Game and I'm going to checkmate you first," Yuugi said.

Yami chuckled. "You still amuse me, Yuugi, thinking you can win. You know you can't, I would have thought you would have learned that by now."

Yuugi scowled at Yami. It felt different to scowl; before Yuugi met Yami, he had never even considered the idea of frowning. Now he scowled and glared, all because of Yami.

Back then, he had always been fighting Yami. Fighting his damn sensuality, his beauty, fighting the memory of his touch. Now there was something different, it wasn't the same as it had been before.

In those days, Yuugi had actually longed and waited for the moment when he would finally stop running away and stop fighting, for the final surrender, just as Yami had waited for him…

But now things were different. Yuugi had changed. When he had passed through the wall of fire in the last Game, the one he had created to trap Yuugi, that had changed him. It had burned away the part of him that responded to Yami, the part that always ran to him, the part that craved danger and the unknown; a part of him that had not existed before Yami.

He might not be as powerful as Yami, but his will was just as strong if not stronger.

He had vowed that he would never give into the shadows ever again. That made the playing grounds different between them now. And it scared Yami, Yuugi could see that.

"More light?" Yami asked. He traced a rune in the air with his index finger. Yuugi recognized it; it was Kenaz, the rune of the torch, which was one of the runes that they had carved on his parents' oak door; it was like an acute angle.

Yami's long and slender finger traced the pattern in the air, creating a glowing Kenaz rune in front of him. The light of the rune rippled and with a dramatic flourish he plucked a burning torch from the air.

Yuugi stared at him stone-faced and gave him three slow claps.

Yami couldn't help but laugh. "You know, you don't want to get me angry." He matched Yuugi's hard gaze. "Not this early on in the Game, at least."

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to be impressed? Or frightened?"

Yami was obviously caught off guard by this. Yuugi had never spoken like this to him…ever. Yami narrowed his eyes at the boy. "You really don't want to get me angry. You will not like me when I am angry."

Yami, he was beautiful. He was unearthly beautiful, so inhuman. The way he gazed at Yuugi would have made him crumble a few weeks ago; has it only been a few weeks since the first Game? But now, Yuugi had a core of steel.

"Where are my friends?" Yuugi questioned, unfazed by Yami's earlier response.

"I know that you haven't been thinking about them this whole time you've been here," Yami said smugly, his eyes were as alive as the flames.

Yuugi hated to admit it, but Yami was right. He would never say it out loud though. "I came here for them," Yuugi said, trying to ignore what Yami had just said. "And I want them back."

"Then win the Game," Yami said.

Yuugi was about to snap back at Yami that he would win the Game if he just told him what it was. The Yami stuck one of the torches in a wide horizontal crack in the wall, and Yuugi finally took in all of his surroundings. But in his defense, it had been dark and with Yami around it is hard to focus on anything else.

He was in an enclosed space, and a very small one, almost as big as his bedroom back home. Three of its walls were hard stone and the fourth was solidly packed boulders.

Below the crack with the torch was a sort of natural stairway, each step broader than the one above it. He noticed his flashlight, apparently dead, resting on the very bottom step.

There was no entrance or exit to the room. The ceiling was low and it gave Yuugi a very trapped feeling. Trapped in this small room underground with no one there to help him…all alone with Yami. Can it get any worse?

Yuugi internally shook his head. 'Don't let him frighten you, Yuugi. That's what he wants, he's just a bully; don't let him get a reaction out of you.'

The little voice in the back of his head wouldn't shut up. 'Besides, what's to be afraid of? You're only buried under a ton of rock, alone with a demon prince who wants you, body and soul, and will literally do anything to have you, even kill you if it means no one else will have you. Oh, and you're pissing him off deliberately, but so what, why sweat the details?'

'…Shut up, voice.'

"So what is the Game this time?" Yuugi asked when he found his voice again.

Yami looked thoughtfully at Yuugi. "The clue will cost you."

It took Yuugi a moment to actually realize what Yami was talking about. All of the other times Yuugi had to pay up to Yami, Yuugi had to… "You're horrible, you do know that, don't you?"

Yami laughed. "I'm as cruel as life…and love."

Fury rose up in the pit of Yuugi's stomach. He would not let Yami control him. Yuugi suddenly remembered what he had forgotten earlier; that he wanted to punch Yami in his pretty little face. But instead he got up on the tip of his toes and kissed him.

It was not a sweet and gentle kiss, like lovers share with each other; it never was a kiss like that when it was between Yami and Yuugi. It wasn't wild and hungry kisses either like the ones that Yami forced out of him in the old days, either.

Yuugi grabbed Yami's face between his hands before he could even let go of the torch, let alone realize what Yuugi was doing. Yuugi was not shy or timid in this kiss; he was aggressive, he wanted answers, and if this is what he needed to do to get them…

Yuugi felt Yami's shock. No matter how many times Yuugi would kiss Yami, the smaller boy always caught Yami off guard. Yuugi felt Yami's free hand snake around his waist but he couldn't bring Yuugi any closer than Yuugi was already pressing himself to Yami. Yuugi completely ignored the danger of the torch right by his hair; let the great master of the elements figure that one out by himself.

Yami recovered fast; Yuugi felt Yami try and take control of the situation, trying to soften the kiss.

But Yuugi knew the danger of softness. He knew what power Yami would have over him if he made the kiss soft. Yuugi would be like a marionette puppet under Yami's control. He would lose control of himself and he would be free for Yami to manipulate.

That is why Yuugi kept the kiss strictly business. He kissed him angrily, with a clinical coldness and all the expertise that he could muster. In the end, Yuugi realized that he had managed to startle Yami two times in a manner of minutes; he would be lying if he said he wasn't proud.

When he finally pulled away, he saw that Yami was flabbergasted, caught off guard, and just staring at Yuugi wide-eyed and his mouth slightly open. Yami may be the Game master, but Yuugi could still use his special powers to manipulate Yami.

"Now, about that clue," Yuugi said.

Yami just stared at Yuugi a moment longer and then blinked. He laughed mockingly but Yuugi could tell that he was beginning to lose his temper; his red eyes glinted dangerously red. Yuugi had struck his pride dead-on. "I've known icicles that were better kissers than you."

Yuugi crossed his arms. "Really? I've known dead fish that are better kissers than you."

He had struck home again. Yami's eyes flared like fire, then his thick lashes drooped, veiling his fury and he gave a small half-smile.

Yuugi's stomach gave a lurch.

Yami was evil, and Yuugi had been stupid enough to poke the dangerous cobra with a stick. Yet he still wasn't as afraid as he should be.

"Alright, I'll give you a clue," Yami said. He slid his hand into the pocket of his skintight pants and brought it back out, holding something that shined and glinted in the light like gold. "Heads I win, tails you lose," he said with a sickly sweet smile.

Then he flicked the gold thing at Yuugi so quickly that he flinched. It hit the stone with a wonderful clear ringing clink. Yuugi picked it up and discovered that it cold and a little heavy. It was a cold coin and Yuugi could tell there was something engraved on its sides but he couldn't tell what.

"A pretty gold coin."

It took Yuugi a moment to realize its significance. And then it hit him. The game—the one the real Wonderland Park was holding. What had that kid said this afternoon? "_You collect three coins and they let you in free the day that it opens_."

**ALL-NEW ATTRACTION! COLLECT THREE GOLD COINS AND BE THE FIRST TO EXPORE…ALICE'S ISLAND.**

Yuugi remembered the scorching letters on the carpet. Yami had invited them on a treasure hunt. Yuugi had never made the connection, then again, there was never a real clue to indicate what the Game would be.

"You modeled this whole place after Wonderland Park just because they were having a treasure hunt?" Yuugi questioned. "Why? Is it because I cam here when I was a kid?"

Yami snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. This whole…Shadow Park, if you will, already existed. It was created ten years ago for a very…special reason, but you'll find out about that later." He gave Yuugi a smile that sent shivers up the boy's spine. "Did you know that this place was built on an old coal mine—a pit? The Shadow Men have been around for a very long time.

_Deep into the Pit_. Yuugi remembered that line from a poem he found on his parents' desk in Yami's first Game, during Yuugi's nightmare.

'Forget the conjectural crap,' the little annoying voice in his head said, 'get down to business.'

"My friends are on Alice's Island, aren't they?" Yuugi asked.

Yami smiled; it was like a shark's smile. "Maybe…maybe not. Don't even think about swimming there. The bridge is the only way to get there, and the toll is three gold coins. You'll find them hidden throughout the park."

Yuugi looked down at the single gold coin in the palm of his hand. He showed it to Yami. "I have one already."

Yami smiled dreamily at Yuugi; it made the boy more uncomfortable than the shark smile. "Yes, you do. Now all you have to do is get out with it."

Yuugi was about to ask what Yami meant, but before he could open his mouth to speak, everything went black. It happened so fast that it took Yuugi's breath away; he was back in the darkness where he started before Yami showed up with his stupid torch and his stupid rune. It was like he was suddenly struck blind.

'Don't panic,' the voice in the back of his head told him. 'He made a mistake. He got mad and he screwed up. He left the flashlight…I hope.' He walked in the direction he remembered seeing the flashlight, his arms held out in front of him. He patted along the walls until he felt the uneven boulders.

His hand closed around the flashlight and he gave a sigh of relief. He flicked it on and only a soft orange glow came from the flashlight. Either something had happened to it when he fell or the batteries were about to die, but it was enough to keep him from going crazy.

'You shouldn't have made him mad, Yuugi. That was really stupid.'

'Shut up, voice.'

With the minimal amount of light, Yuugi could see all four walls of his prison. There was no way in or out. There was no way he could shift those boulders by himself, and even if he did, if he moved one the rest might topple down on him.

He told himself not to panic but the flashlight was already getting dimmer. He could barely see anything now. He was all alone in the midst of solid rock and absolute silence.

Maybe if he imagined that the cave wasn't really, like the fire in the last Game, he could get out. He could just pass right through the wall…but this wasn't an illusion, this was reality. He could feel the cold stone on his fingers and there was no way out of this mess.

He was stuck, there was no way out, unless someone came to help him.

Time to scream.

He shouted, again and again, until his throat was raw. He picked up a loose stone and banged it against the walls until all the sound he did hear was just a mass of gibberish and unintelligible words. That is why when the whispering came, he wondered if his ears were just playing a trick on him, or if it was real.

It was real. The voices were distant and musical—and oh, so dangerous. What they were saying was too soft and indistinct to be made out.

Yuugi felt like curling up in a ball and hiding in a corner. But instead, he slowly turned his head around and in the darkness…he saw eyes. He had a strange sense of déjà vu. He was five again. A little curious child who had went down to the basement, where he was told never to go, while his parents were out. He opened a closed door that was meant to be closed forever. And he saw eyes.

The Shadow Men; they were here with him.

It was like they were in the wall itself. Yuugi felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

The eyes, they were always there, always watching. Even to the people who don't believe or deny their existence, the eyes are always watching them from the darkness.

'They want you to be scared, Yuugi. They're here to scare you, don't let them get a reaction out of you. They aren't going to hurt you; they can't do anything.'

'But they're whispering.'

They were whispering words Yuugi didn't even understand—gibberish, yet it still terrified him to no end.

He couldn't help but listen, because he wanted to make sense of it; he wanted to understand what they were saying.

Then, like a flame being puffed out, the eyes were gone. Their voices lingered for a moment, and then they died.

Yuugi thanked God that they were gone and he relished in the silence for as long as he could…until another sound reached his ears. It was like rippling liquid. Yuugi turned his dying flashlight towards the wall with the steps, where the eyes had been, and he gasped.

The steps were moving. Yuugi shook his head; no, that wasn't right. Yuugi took a hesitant step forward and reached his hand out towards the closest step. He felt a splash of wetness hit his hand and bitter cold. The steps weren't moving…they were covered with water. Water was flowing down the rock staircase, smooth as glass, only faster.

It was pouring in a steady sheet all along the width of the crack—maybe three or four feet. At first, the water was just like an inconvenience; it wasn't as scary as the eyes. Yuugi didn't recognize the danger until his already ruined sneakers were soaked.

Yuugi tried to figure out where the water was coming from; the boulders were sealed tight and the ceiling was closed off. But the water was still coming…

Faster every minute and it seemed to be getting colder. He felt a prickling in his toes as they became numb. He marveled that his feet were actually numb from inside his shoes, but then he realized that he was going to die.

The full reality of the situation finally hit him. He was in a sealed cavern with water coming from no where with no way to escape. This wasn't a book, this was real life and there was no magical solution to this problem. He was screwed.

Surprisingly though, he wasn't hysterical. However, thoughts were rushing through his head at a dizzying speed. He couldn't help but think what would happen to his friends after he died. They must be so worried about him; they didn't know where he was. Then Jounouchi, Malik, and Ryou…they were relying on him, but he was useless now. What about his grandpa? He would be alone when he came back from his dig.

The whispering was back, and this time, Yuugi thought he knew what they were saying.

"_Die…die…_"

Yuugi couldn't help but frown. So that is why Yami was smiling; that bastard.

As the water rose higher and higher, Yuugi couldn't make himself believe it. His mind just could not process what was happening; he could not imagine that he was going to die.

He also couldn't believe that Yami wanted him dead. Yuugi knew that he was evil, but _dead_? Didn't Yami love Yuugi?

The water was too his hips at this point and it was so cold, painfully cold.

Then a thought came to Yuugi. Maybe Yami just wanted to humiliate Yuugi. Make him beg for help. But that didn't make any sense. Yami knew that Yuugi wouldn't beg. Ever since the first Game, Yuugi has made it clear that he would rather die than surrender to Yami.

Then he thought of something even scarier. Something scarier than the eyes or the thought of even dying. It was so unbelievable that it took Yuugi's mind a few moments to actually process it.

What if Yami didn't know what was happening right now? What if he wasn't the one doing this?

Yami had stormed off in a rage, his ego bruised, and then the eyes had appeared. What if the water was their doing?

Yuugi would be dead before Yami even found out.

The thought made sense. Yami had always been at odds with the Shadow Men, his brethren and family. When Yuugi was five, Yami argued with the older Shadow Men. They wanted Yuugi dead, but Yami wanted to keep him.

"_So, you're one of the youngest Shadow Men?"_

"_And the nicest."_

"_I believe that."_

Yuugi's parents had given themselves up to save Yuugi, and now the Shadow Men were back to finish what they had started. And Yami had no idea.

It was strange to think about. Yami and his two brothers may be evil, but the other Shadow Men were worse. They were more twisted. In the other two Games, Yami had controlled everything. Now he controlled nothing. They were in the Shadow Realm now, and all of the Shadow Men were the game masters.

The water was up to his neck now. It was so cold…then an idea came.

What if it got colder? Until it was ice? Yami had conjured up a torch rune, so maybe…

He was so numb and so cold; he hardly knew if he was crawling or floating but he made his way to the top step on the stone staircase. He was blind, it was dark again, but he could feel the wall, and the rune he wasn't was the simplest to imagine.

Just one stroke, up then down. A capital _I_ without any bars. The ice rune, Isa.

He scratched it directly onto the rock, oblivious to the pain of the skin of his finger scraping against the rock. And then he waited.

It was so cold it was hard to tell if it worked or not. Then he felt the jagged sharpness instead of the smooth numbing gusher. The flow over the rune Isa had become a frozen waterfall. The water around Yuugi remained liquid but at least he stopped the flow!

'I did it! I stopped the water!'

He sucked in a few grateful breaths of air. It was good to breathe; it was good to be _alive_.

Then his high came crashing down when he realized he was still going to die. He had stopped the water, he wasn't going to drown; he was going to freeze to death.

It was just so cold. He was going to die of hypothermia. He was going to lose consciousness and sink. Then he would drown, just like the _Titanic_. Irony.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

He was already too weak when his stupefied mind stumbled upon the idea of using the torch rune; Kenaz. If he could remember it then maybe…

But he couldn't change the rules of the elements to his whim. He could not make fire out of water frozen into ice.

It didn't hurt much anymore. Dying. It wasn't so bad. Nothing seemed so urgent, it was just peaceful.

His weary mind cried out, 'Help.' But there was no reason to.

No one would hear him. Yami couldn't hear him, Yami wouldn't save him. He would die alone. He only had one regret; he had forgotten to punch Yami in the face when he saw him.

He felt all of his senses go numb until he felt nothing but pure bliss and the lapping water against his cheeks as he sunk down into the water, into the darkness.

_Gebo, the rune of sacrifice._

-/-

**Ranko: And cut!**

**Yuugi: Did you just kill me? **

**Ranko: Hm…maybe. **

**Yami: At least I didn't get punched in the face. **

**Ranko: You're time will come my friend. **

**Yuugi: Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ranko: Why the hell am I so tired?**

**Yami: Because you've been staying up until five o'clock in the morning watching episodes of Hetalia. **

**Ranko: …Oh yeah. **

**Yuugi: Do you want to answer reviews? **

**Ranko: Do I have too? Alright, but just because I love you guys. **

**SincerelyChristina:**** Yay! I love Yami fangirls, they make me happy since Yami doesn't get as much love (okay, that's a lie). Oh, thank you, I like how this story is going as well. I don't think it will Yuugi's friends who rescues Yuugi ;) take that as you will. Please continue to review!**

**Black Rose of Fire:**** Hm? Should I kill Yuugi, or should I not? I love Yuugi too, he is my favorite character too ;) Please continue to review. **

**YinYangMoon Dragon:**** …Please don't kill me. Keep Yami on a leash and make sure that I am safe, and I will update even quicker. Please and thank you ;) Please continue to review!**

**Zeladious:**** Let me first say that I love your penname, mostly because it reminds me of the Legend of Zelda, which should be called Legend of Link (just saying). Anyway, I guess compared to the other Shadow Men, our favorite little villains of this story aren't as bad =3 Please continue to review!**

**Daemon Luciel:**** Too super special awesome to die? I know what you mean, Yuugi has become kickass, after all of the crap Yami has put him through, it is no wonder. Yuugi was not messing around with Yami, but then again, I have to say that what he did was too stupid for words (sorry Yuugi, I still love you). Don't worry, Yuugi will punch Yami in the face. I don't think that Yuugi and Yami will team up, unfortunately (every fangirls dream). All of your questions will be answered in time, dear child. Please continue to review!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Bow down to your queen (insert evil laugh here)! Anyway, I don't think Marik or Akefia would ever want to do harm to Yuugi, mostly because they know how much Yuugi means to Yami. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**YugiFanP3:**** Oh, thank you so much, you're so nice to me! Please continue to review and making me feel happy inside!**

**Phantom Luna:**** In answer to your question, I don't think I would ever be able to write Bakura and Yuugi together, because it would make my shipper heart bleed But yes, I think that Yami would be all possessive of Yuugi, as well as Ryou…one-shot idea! Please continue to review!**

**CrimsonStawberry17: ****Yeah, I'm just sneaky like that. Please continue to review!**

**Cascade00:**** I'm so happy that you liked my series so much, it always puts a smile on my face when I hear that someone read my whole series in just a few days. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**lilpopspash:**** Oh crap, please don't kill me ;) Thank you and please continue to review!**

**Seth the Inu:**** Oh, thank you, I'm glad that you appreciate my work so much. I will give that message to Yuugi for you ;) Please continue to review!**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Surprisingly, dying was painless.

However, it was also sad. Yuugi couldn't help but think of all the people he was leaving behind. He kept picturing his grandpa, he would be so lonely, and Mai. What would all of his friends do? How would they tell his grandpa? What would Mai do? She would have no more family if Yuugi died.

And then his thoughts drifted to Jounouchi, Malik, and Ryou. He had let them down; he disappointed them. He promised that he would find them and save them, and he failed them. There was no telling what Yami and his brothers would do to his friends after Yuugi died. Would they be trapped here forever? He didn't want to think about that.

Maybe Yami would let them all go; after Yuugi died, he would have no more use for his friends. But then he remembered that Yami was a Shadow Man, he did not feel emotions such as compassion or sympathy. Shadow Men weren't capable of pity.

Instead, Yami just might take his anger out on his friends.

Yuugi desperately wanted to cry out for his friends; he wanted to cry out to Yami, to tell him to leave his friends alone. But he couldn't find the strength to do so. His sadness was fading, he was slowing floating away.

He was dead now, all of that didn't matter anymore.

But something was strange; could a dead person feel pain—physical pain? It felt like he was burning. The bite of the freezing water had stopped hurting for so long, and it was like he had no sense of his own body anymore.

He was trapped in absolute darkness and utter silence, his whole body numb to any sensation until it was almost like he didn't have a body. It was like he was just drifting along in his own scrambled thoughts.

But then the burning started. At first, he tried to ignore it, it was so distant that it was easy to ignore. But it didn't stop; instead, it got worse. He felt nothing but heat. It was a tingling, prickling heat that demanded his attention. And with the heat, it was like he had a body again.

He started to feel different parts of his body, one at a time. First it was his hands, and then his feet. He felt the heat in his face and then he was aware of a vague, fuzzy glow. It was like looking at the light of a lamp through your closed eyelids.

'Open your eyes,' he told himself.

But he couldn't. His eyelids were too heavy, like lead. His whole body hurt and it was just so much easier to just lie there and drift. He just wanted the light to go away.

"Yuugi…Yuugi!"

He heard his name called out in tones of love and desperation. Vaguely, he thought that it was one of his friends. Mai or Jounouchi…maybe even Ryou. It made his heart leap in joy to know that his friends were okay. Then he realized that they needed him, he couldn't give up now. He should go to them, he should fight.

But it hurt so much.

"Yuugi, please; please come back to me, Yuugi."

There was the sound of tears in this person's voice.

'Oh no, please don't cry. I promise that it will be alright,' he thought to whoever was calling for him.

He had to come back; he had to reassure this person that he will be okay. 'Forget the pain, just fight it and go back to that person, because they need me.'

Yuugi concentrated on the fuzzy glow, reaching for it, his body getting warmer and hotter as he got closer. The pain was terrible. His lungs hurt, it was like they were burning and he had a flashback to when he walked through the wall of fire. He almost gave up, the pain was too great, but then he heard the most pitiful sound.

"Yuugi…please don't leave me…"

Yuugi steeled himself and pushed forward. If his lungs were burning then that must mean he had lungs, and if he had lungs that that meant he could breathe. '_Breathe_, damn it!'

It still hurt and the darkness was trying to pull him back down.

The person who was calling out for him must have seen his efforts and his struggles to stay alive, because he heard a gasp, and then someone saying, "That's it, Yuugi. Keep fighting!" Someone was rubbing his hands.

Then with a tremendous effort he opened his eyes…

And he saw Yami.

His hazy mind tried to register what he saw. It was Yami who was rubbing his hands, calling out for him with such desperation and fear of loss; the light from a fire reflected off of his unique hair.

Yuugi realized he was dry. He was lying on a bed of soft, white pelts in a cavern that was slightly larger than the one he was in before.

The heat of the fire brought him back to life…Yami brought him back to life.

"Yami…" he said in a hoarse whisper.

Yuugi propped himself on his elbows, his arms shaking. He reached up one of his hands and stroked Yami's face. He could feel Yami's firm jaw under his fingers and a slight dampness on his cheeks, but he didn't recognize that. He was too focused on doing one thing.

Yuugi curled his hand into a fist and punched Yami in the face.

It was a very light and weak punch because he was still so weak, but it still surprised Yami. The older boy just stared at Yuugi, completely shell-shocked. Then he touched his cheek lightly, there wasn't even a mark where Yuugi's fist had been, and Yami let out a watery chuckle.

"I guess I deserved that."

Yuugi noticed that Yami's hands were shaking and his breathing was uneven. His pupils were huge and dilated with emotion. Yami looked so afraid, like a child during a thunderstorm. Yami's face, which had always been molded in arrogance or mockery, was now drawn tight over the bones of his face. There was no trace of that beautiful arrogant smile on his lips.

The most surprising thing of all was that Yami's beautiful ruby red eyes that Yuugi had always admired since the moment he met him were watery from tears.

"I thought you were dead," Yami said in a shaky voice, very quiet and meek, which was very unusual for Yami.

'So did I,' Yuugi thought, but could not find the strength to say it. He couldn't support his weight on his arms anymore and lay back down on the soft, warm pelts.

"Here," Yami said, reaching behind him. "Drink this, it will help." Yami supported Yuugi's head and pressed a steaming cup to his lips. The liquid was sweet and warmed Yuugi's insides. It chased away the remaining pain that was inside of him.

Yuugi found himself lying still, completely relaxed and just absorbing the fire's comforting heat. Yami laid him back down and as relaxed as Yuugi was, this different Yami was unsettling.

Gentle, Yami was being gentle…but Yami was never gentle. He was a being that didn't have gentle emotions. They weren't capable of pity.

Yuugi probably shouldn't be accepting help from Yami, but he looked so lost and frightened that all he wanted to do was take Yami in his arms and comfort him.

"I thought I lost you," Yami said silently, not even looking at Yuugi, but the boy saw Yami's eyes glitter like real rubies from the tears in his eyes.

"Then you didn't send the water?" Yuugi asked, and then wincing. His throat was like sandpaper.

Yami stared at Yuugi as he remembered how he found out that Yuugi was dying. If he was just a few seconds too late, then…he didn't even want to think about it.

"_Father! What have you done?" Yami cried in outrage as he stormed around. He saw nothing but red in his vision. He wanted to destroy, he was that outraged. But first he wanted to save Yuugi. _

_The father of all Shadow Men stood calmly by, watching Yami's anger rise. "Slifer—"_

"_I told you," Yami snapped. "My name is no longer the name you gave me when I was born. I am not Slifer, my name is Yami."_

_Father's eyes narrowed. "Slifer," he continued to say. "You're name is Slifer. I and your own brethren did this for your own good. Having feelings of lust towards this human boy will only be your downfall."_

"_It is not lust!" Yami cried in outrage, suddenly all of the feelings of destruction were going towards the Shadow Man standing right in front of him. "I don't think you realize what Yuugi actually means to me! Then again, you wouldn't know anything about these feelings since you have never felt compassion or love towards anyone!"_

"_That is right," father said without missing a beat. "I have never felt such useless emotions towards another person or supernatural being. I have no need of such things and neither should you. It will only destroy you. Do you wish to die, Slifer?"_

"_If it means that Yuugi will continue to live and be happy, then yes, I would happily die," Yami said. He ran towards the mines but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "And my name is Yami."_

_Father watched the young Shadow Man go. "Light and love will only be an obstacle in your path to greatness. It is either you destroy it…or I will."_

"No, I did not send the water," Yami finally answered.

Yuugi felt like maybe he should say something, like maybe list off everything Yami had done to him in the past, he didn't know why. Maybe to prove a point? But here in this little cavern, surrounded by rocks that seemed to block out the rest of the world, it all seemed so very far away.

Yami didn't seem like a Shadow Man now, he wasn't like a hunter. If he was a predator, he had his prey right in front of him, defenseless and wounded. He could do anything to Yuugi, he would never get a better chance.

But he wasn't doing anything. He gave Yuugi plenty of space and just sat there staring into the fire with dazed eyes.

"You would have cared if I had died," Yuugi said slowly, like he didn't fully believe it yet.

Yami looked up from the fire and into Yuugi eyes. They stared into each others eyes for a moment, all of their defenses down and then Yami furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"You really don't know…do you?"

Yuugi shook his head; what was he supposed to get? He pushed himself up so he was sitting up. He hugged his legs close to his chest for more warmth.

Yami sighed. "Yuugi, I love you."

Yuugi blinked. "Yes, I know but…" Yami had always told Yuugi that he loved him, but Yuugi had never sensed much tenderness in his words. He would have said this to Yami, but it seemed wrong to tell that to someone that looked so lost and defenseless and…human. "I've never understood why."

Yami looked at Yuugi quizzically.

Yuugi shifted his legs and rested his chin on his knees. "It's just…we're so different." Yuugi looked up through his lashes at Yami. Yami was staring at him with complete honesty; there were no defenses, nothing to keep Yuugi from looking into his soul. It scared Yuugi but at the same time made him feel comfortable and safe.

But there was always one question that always bothered Yuugi, ever since he met Yami.

"Why me?" he asked softly.

"Would you like a list?"

Yuugi sat up, shocked by Yami's answer. "What?"

Yami ignored Yuugi's response and continued. "Let us start with your hair. It is strange, but it is also beautiful. It is soft and silky, easy to run your fingers through. And your eyes, I love your eyes. They glitter like gems and they seem to change colors depending on your mood. Your skin glows, it seems like you always have a halo of light around you. Your skin is smooth and the color of moonlight."

Yuugi wanted to protest but Yami continued.

"There are plenty of beautiful girls and handsome boys in the world. But you're different. There is something in your soul that gives you a different kind of beauty than anyone else in the world. You just have this innocence about you. No matter how much I have done to you, it never puts out that glow of light around you. You continue to stand strong. You're still as gentle and sweet as ever. Yet, you have the spirit of a flame."

Yuugi shook his head. "I think that you're wrong."

Yami shook his head. "No, I am right. You are marvelous, Yuugi."

Yuugi didn't know what to say. This Yami was different, possibly even more frightening than the Yami that has been hunting him. Because this Yami causes a new, unfamiliar emotion to bubble up in Yuugi's chest. Yuugi didn't know what it was, but it scared him to learn.

"When I first saw you, there was just a flood of sunshine around you, wherever you went it was always there. I remember that the others wanted to kill you…" Yami's eyes became dazed as he remembered. Yuugi often wondered what that day must have been like through Yami's eyes. "But I wanted to keep you, because you were special; you were like nothing I had ever seen before. They thought I was crazy and they laughed at me…"

'The other Shadow Men…' Yuugi thought.

"But I knew and I watched you. You grew up and blossomed into a wonderful flower that was so bright and beautiful that others feared it. You became even more amazing and more beautiful as you got older. What intrigued me the most was how different you were from anything I had seen in my world. You were light. Warm, bright light. I didn't want to use you up or to kill you like the others did, but I needed you. I craved that love and warmth."

Yami continued to keep his distance, so he wouldn't frighten Yuugi; he continued to stare into the fire, as if he were staring back into his past.

"I couldn't see anything else, couldn't hear anything else. You were my everything. You were always on my mind. I wouldn't let anyone else hurt you…I couldn't let anyone else hurt you. I felt this strange feeling in my chest…" Yami put a hand to his chest. "And it scared me, because I didn't know what it was, but it also comforted me." Yami chuckled. "They said I was crazy in love."

Yuugi stared at Yami, and it was like he was looking at him with a new pair of eyes. Like he had pressed the rewind button and had gone back to that time when he walked through the door to the game store. It was like he had seen Yami for the first time and Yuugi could make his first impression of him again.

He saw Yami small and vulnerable and completely human.

He felt his heart thump widely in his chest and that was shaking his whole body.

He had never even thought about what the other Shadow Men might have said to Yami. Yami was one of the youngest Shadow Men, along with Marik and Akefia, and the others probably don't take him very seriously. He had never thought of what his life might actually be like as a Shadow Man.

"Yami, what's it like being…I mean, uh," Yuugi didn't know what to say.

Yami chuckled. "What's it like being a Shadow Man?" he asked for Yuugi, looking at the boy from the corner of his eye; Yuugi nodded. Yami sighed and spaced off. "You watch from the shadows, looking at a world that is full of light and color and happiness that you know you can never experience for yourself."

Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows together. "But you can make anything you want here, can't you?"

Yami nodded. "Yes, but it's not the same. Things…they fade here; they don't last forever."

"But if you don't like it, you could just leave can't you? You could…" Yuugi thought of his world being overridden by Shadow Men and repressed a shiver. "You could change couldn't you?"

Yami chuckled humorlessly. "I can't change what I am…none of us can. We have already decided our fate. No one else of the rest of the nine worlds wants us. They say our nature is destructive, that all we can do is destroy. We're not welcome anywhere we go. But we will always be close to Earth, just watching from the shadows…forever."

There was a sort of emptiness in Yami's voice that made Yuugi sad.

"Forever? So…you never die?"

Yami shook his head. "No, we do not die. We are born from the destructiveness that once lived in our human hearts."

"What?" Yuugi asked, mouth hanging open.

Yami finally turned towards Yuugi in confusion. "What?"

"You were once human?" Yuugi asked, still slightly shocked.

Yami nodded. "Yes, all Shadow Men were once human. When our human selves die with bitter revenge in our hearts or we feel nothing but anger or destruction, we are reborn as Shadow Men. We make a choice to live as Shadow Men; we subconsciously call upon them when we die and we choose to be reborn, even though we may not realize it at the time. Our names are carved onto a candle and if it is carved out, then we die."

Yuugi thought about this overload of information, trying to absorb it all. "So when you died as a human, you were so full of hate that you called for the Shadow Men and you were reborn as one and somewhere there is a candle with the name Yami carved into it?"

Yami nodded. "Yes, everything you said is true. Except, there is no candle with my name on it."

"What?" Yuugi asked. "Why?"

Yami smiled sadly. "I cannot remember my life before being a Shadow Man."

Yuugi gaped and then covered his mouth with his hand.

"When I was reborn, I had no memory of my life as a human or my real name. Since then I have been called…" he paused for a moment, and then said, "Yami."

Yuugi thought of the Yami he had always known, who seemed so very unreal at this time now that he was staring at the real Yami with all of his defenses down.

The Yami that had lured him into the game store and tempted him into buying the Shadow Game. The Yami that had kidnapped him and his friends and forced them to play that horrible and sick Game; the Game that Ryou died in. Then he showed up again and bullied Yuugi into playing this new Game to win his freedom. He had threatened him, hurt his friends, and done so many other horrible things to him…

But now that he looked at it, that evil Yami seemed like a fake. Like he had been wearing a mask that whole time just so he could hide the scared child that was the real him.

The thought made Yuugi's head spin. He pushed the white furs away from his body and Yami immediately stood up, as if to give Yuugi more space to breathe.

"I—I'm warm now," he said, pushing himself up on shaky legs when suddenly his legs gave out from under him. He saw the rock floor rushing at him fast but Yami was there in an instance, catching Yuugi from face-planting the ground and helping him stand up again.

Yuugi felt the warmth of Yami's skin from the fire and he lifted his head warily, staring into Yami's red eyes. His pupils were still dilated and completely open for Yuugi to stare into, no barriers.

The Yuugi suddenly had a vision that made his heart drop.

_He was surrounded by the fresh smell of flowers and the sun that was high in the sky warmed his tanned skin. He tilted his head back and breathed in the fresh air. It truly was a lovely day, simply beautiful. He played with the slave bracelets that were secured tightly around his tiny wrists. It would be even more beautiful if he was free…_

_He heard the distant murmur of voices and the sound of footsteps coming his way. He squeaked and ran to hide behind a tree; he wasn't supposed to be here. _

_He peaked out from behind his hiding spot and saw the Pharaoh walking through the garden with his son walking beside him. He stared in awe at the Ruler of the country and the young prince. _

_The prince was a free years older than he and extremely handsome. His sun-kissed skin was perfect and his royal garb brought out the unique coloring of his eyes. _

_He couldn't help but admire the prince; he knew that it was forbidden, but he truly loved him._

* * *

"_Hey, I know you," the young prince said from his perch on the tree branch above him. _

_He looked up in surprise; what was the Prince of Egypt doing climbing trees?_

_He realized that it was disrespectful to look the prince in the eye and quickly looked back down at his sandaled feet, feeling very foolish. "How do you know a slave like me, your majesty?"_

_The prince jumped down and landed right in front of the slave boy. The smaller boy squeaked and blushed bright red; he had never been this close to the prince before. _

"_Because I have been watching you for a while, you are very beautiful," the prince said with a cheeky smile._

* * *

"_Hey," the prince said, staring up at the cloudless sky, his own personal slave beside him. _

"_What is it, your majesty?" the slave asked. _

"_Can you promise me that we'll be together forever?"_

_The slave boy giggled. "Forever and ever."_

* * *

"_No!" He saw the fading image of his prince leaning over him. He was crying and desperately calling out for him. His pupils were dilated and he looked like a scared child. _

_Oh, how he wanted to comfort the young prince and tell him it would all be okay, but he couldn't do that because he was just so tired and his whole body hurt; he couldn't find the energy to do anything for his prince. _

"_No! You can't die! Please…don't leave me alone!"_

Yuugi blacked out.

* * *

Yami didn't know if Yuugi saw the same thing that he did but that didn't matter, what did matter was that Yuugi was the key that held everything to his life. He kissed the boy tenderly on the forehead after he passed out; it was too much of shock for the boy.

Yuugi was like a light to Yami; he needed Yuugi, not just for uncovering his past, he needed Yuugi because without him, Yami's heart would surely stop beating. Yami could not help but be attracted to the things that are forbidden. Light is forbidden to Shadow Men but he continued to seek it out.

Yami sighed and picked the boy up; he was so light. He would carry him out of this mine trap and make sure his friends found him safely.

Unfortunately, Yami noticed that the coin he had given Yuugi had fallen from the boy's pocket. He couldn't make up for the coin that Yuugi had lost if he wanted to play the Game fairly and keep Yuugi and his friends alive.

He left a note in Yuugi's pocket that Yuugi would find whenever he woke up and then they would continue their little Game, and they could continue to be like cat and dog.

But for now, Yami would enjoy holding Yuugi this close to him, without any differences between them.

-/-

**Ranko: I hope that was enough puzzleshipping for you guys. Two whole chapters devoted to nothing but puzzleshipping, I spoil you guys. **

**Yami: I like it. **

**Ranko: Well of course you do! By the way, if a few things were unclear to you in this chapter, please read and review my one-shot that is related to this story/series: "What's In a Name?"**

**Yuugi: And of course, review and tell Ranko what you thought of this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ranko: I have been getting so much love on the previous chapter, thank you guys so much!**

**Yami: But this chapter we are going back to business. The Game will kick off again so hold on to your seats!**

**Yuugi: Well, it was nice while it lasted but it seems like Ranko is ready to put me through hell again. **

**Ranko: So let's answer some reviews! Before I forget, a big thank you for getting me past the 100 reviews mark! You guys rock and I love you all!**

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** There has been an idea floating around in my head that Suguroku will show up again in this story, but we'll see ;) Thank you and please continue to review!**

**YinYang MoonDragon:**** I know what you mean, I am a hopeless romantic! Please continue to review!**

**AmerillaRose:**** Oh my, goodness! Too much love! I can't handle it…Thank you so much and please continue to review!**

**Casade00:**** I know how it feels whenever you have a long day and you come home to something you have been looking forward too! Don't worry, no death…maybe ;) Yami can be a little bitch sometimes, but he loves Yuugi so I don't think he would let him die, no matter how angry he gets. I know, I am the cliffhanger queen! If you want more info about what happened last chapter go check out my one-shot 'What's In a Name?' Please continue to review!**

**TheWingedSunDragonofRal13402:**** Your penname is a mouthful, isn't it? I like it :) I am so glad that you like my series so much, thank you and please continue to review!**

**Zeladious:**** I'm sorry, it was a compliment though . If you want more info on some of what happened last chapter than please check out my one-shot 'What's In a Name?' it will be able to explain so much! You are very much on the right track when it comes to Yuugi's flashback ;) What do you mean when you can say someone can go crazy, I'm perfectly fine and I'm a puzzleshipper (eye twitches). (Yami: What do you mean when you say when will my role get deeper) (Yuugi: If you mean if I am…you know, a virgin, the answer is yes.) Please continue to review!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** Who's Harry? Lawl I have been telling Yami the same thing this whole time throughout the entire series. Yuugi seeing Yami for who he really is make me really happy. Yeah, Yami is still a bitch. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**LobaKarina15:**** If you haven't already, read 'What's In a Name?' it will make everything clearer :) **

**Dark-Huntress Sam:**** Well, since you said please :)**

**YugiFanP3:**** Oh, thank you! I love you too! (not in a weird way)**

**Great:**** Your review reminded me of the City of Bones movie trailer. "You are the key to our survival, Clary" (never mentioned in the book .) Thank you so much for reviewing and loving this story!**

**sea girl:**** Oh no! Don't faint! Thank you so much for the awesome review and I understand if you are busy, I'm busy too! **

**ak:**** It always makes me happy when someone who has read the original series has read my stories. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much your review meant to me! Oh, and I will be changing the ending, I think you'll like it ;)**

**lilpopsplash:**** Thank you for forgiving me!**

**Saskie:**** As you wish! **

**Seth the Inu:**** I know how you feel! Just let it all out, embrace your inner fangirl! The flashbacks were not in the book, that was my idea (I am so proud of myself)! Answer to your question, no I do not think I will be doing the fourth book (which I know about) I'll probably just read it and be a crazy fan. But the way this story will end will not leave anything open for something like that!**

**Amatsu Kurosaki:**** I know, I love backstories too! Why do you think I love this story so much!**

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** Well, you made my day, too! I know what you mean, I love an independent Yuugi! You'll be getting plenty of that in this story so hold on to your seat! Plot bunnies, you are so evil, but why do you have to be so cute! Thank you, I love you too (not creepily)!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Nope, not a cliffhanger, just a cute little ending! You are very close (about right on the mark) when it comes to Yuugi's flashbacks. Thank you so much!**

**Ranko: You guys are lucky I love you; do you realize all of those reviews took up TWO pages? TWO! Now I'm dead, goodbye…**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Yuugi: Enjoy? Ranko, are you okay?**

**Ranko: (grumbles)**

-/-

"Yuugi…Yuugi, please wake up!"

Yuugi groaned as he heard someone call for him. He was so tired and cold that he didn't want to get up, but the person who was calling for him began to shake him. Yuugi sighed and peeled his eyes open. He saw Mai and the rest of his friends leaning over him, all of them stared at him in worry but he noticed Mai's eyes glisten from unshed tears.

"Thank God!" she cried in relief, grabbing her cousin and squeezing him.

"Mai…I can't breathe…" Yuugi choked out.

Mai relaxed her hug and after a moment more she let Yuugi go. "Where did you go? You scared us to death!"

Yuugi blinked at his cousin as Seto and Honda helped him to his feet. "Huh?"

"You've been gone for two hours, Yuugi. We've been looking around the park everywhere for you. Then suddenly, we found you lying on a park bench," Mai explained, suddenly her face was professional again; she was a big, bad Shadow Hunter now.

Anzu nodded her head. "Yeah, and when we looked back in the mines, it was just a ride again and there was still no sight of you."

"Yuugi," Mai said, her voice neutral. "You saw him, didn't you?"

Yuugi sighed tiredly; he remembered everything that had happened in the cave like it was a dream. He remembered hearing Yami's sad tale of what a Shadow Man's life was like. He remembered Yami telling him that Shadow Men were once humans. He remembered falling and Yami catching him…and the next thing he knew Mai was waking him up.

Yuugi's clothes were stiff from being dried against his skin. He shivered and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets while his friends waited for him to answer. He felt something brush against his hand in the right pocket of his jacket. He pulled it and saw a square piece of paper.

"What is that?" Seto asked.

Yuugi shrugged and unfolded the paper, reading a note that was written in elegant script that could only belong to one person…

_**Hello Yuugi, **_

_**the clock is ticking on the new Game that we are playing and if you want to see your friends again you should collect those three gold coins quickly. One more thing, you seem to have lost the one gold coin I gave you in the cave. Oh well, what a shame? Better hurry along, I'll be waiting.**_

_**Yami**_

Yuugi scowled and crushed the little note in his hand. That bastard! Right when he thought that he was changing. When Yuugi thought that he could trust Yami, that he was really good, he pulls this crap! If Yami wants a Game, Yuugi will give him a Game.

"Yes, I saw Yami," Yuugi said, grinding his words out through clenched teeth. "And I know what the new Game is."

"What is it?" Bakura asked.

Yuugi explained to them that the only way to save their friends was to collect three gold coins. Although, he left out the part about seeing the eyes of the Shadow Men as they tried to drown him in the cave, or how it had felt to die. Maybe he would tell his friends when they were all safe and they had a bit more privacy so he could cry and be comforted.

While they were trapped in this hellish amusement park, why worry them?

Besides, all he could think about was how bad Yami's mood swings seemed to be.

Honda sighed and ran his fingers through his spiked hair. "At least we got something out of that ride. We got some kickass weapons and now we know what we are doing."

Seto crossed his arms over his chest and turned to Yuugi. "So what do we do when we get these three coins?"

Yuugi chewed off one of his thumbnails as he thought about the answer to that question; did Yami tell him what to do after he collected the three gold coins? "I think that we go to the bridge, just like that kid said earlier today. The bridge must be on the other side of the lake, around back, when we get there, I guess Yami will let us across."

'I hope,' that little voice in the back of his head added in.

Yuugi could see the center of the island from where they were by the merry-go-round. It was illuminated by a tall structure that was a lot like the Washington Monument. Yuugi pointed to the tall, glowing structure that, after further observation, Yuugi saw was a lighthouse; he had not noticed the lighthouse earlier today.

"That is where our friends are," Yuugi said confidently; he knew it. Yami was the kind of person who would hang things you wanted just out of your reach.

"Where should be start looking?" Mai asked; everyone knew that she was talking about the gold coins.

Seto was the one who spoke up. "We could go left to the Kiddie-land, or right, back to the fish pond."

Everyone shuddered at the thought of that retched little pond.

"Or go around the front of the lake to some of the rides," Seto continued.

Bakura crossed his arms over his chest. "I say that we go around the lake. That is where we came in tonight, when we came through the door with the runes. There might be a clue back at the starting point."

Walking through a dark amusement park was as scary as walking through a school at night with no one else there. All of the attractions and booths that were so bright during the day and radiated positive energy was now gone and was strangely ominous.

They kept a close eye out for anything from before that had attacked Mai; they now had weapons and were prepared for anything. Except whenever they all heard a low mechanical purring sound that came from around artistically clipped bushes.

They rounded the corner and saw, sitting contently on a brick wall as it did this morning, his tail laying lazily across the wall, was the Cheshire Cat. He wore a mischievous grin, like the cat that had just caught the mouse. Also, unlike this morning, the machine's eyes were opened slightly and it looked as if that mechanical trashcan was looking right at them.

Yuugi heard Honda sigh a breath of relief from beside him. "Why did that scare me so much?" The brunet put a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart. Bakura shook his head at the other man.

Yuugi took a cautious step towards the mechanical trashcan; it kept purring and purring and purring, it was like the machine was broken. "This is freaky," Yuugi said to himself quietly.

"I bet this is just to scare us," Anzu said confidently, crossing her arms over her chest and moving to stand next to Yuugi. She shone her flashlight on the mechanical jaw that was programmed to drop open when someone pulled the tail; Mai was circling it at a safe distance.

Anzu squinted her eyes and leaned in closer to the hard plastic of the cat's mouth. "I think I see something in there, can you pull the tail for me?"

No one moved. "You're kidding me, right?" Seto asked.

Anzu didn't pay attention to Seto's questioning tone. "No, I'm serious, I think there is something in this thing's mouth." Yuugi hesitantly pulled the tail and the jaw dropped open. Anzu moved her flashlight to get a better look. "Yeah, something is in there, down by the throat; it looks gold."

Mai moved around the stare down the cat's mouth as well. "She's right, there is something down there."

"Couldn't it just be a gum wrapper?" Yuugi suggested, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted his friends to get away from that thing.

"Well, I'm not getting it," Honda said; it seemed like no one heard Yuugi speak, either that or they chose to ignore what he said.

"Anzu can get it, can't you, princess?" Mai asked.

Yuugi fumed. "Don't tease her, Mai."

Mai put her hands out in front of her in a defensive manner. "I'm not, I mean that she has the longest and skinniest arms here so she can reach all the way back there. Plus," Mai said, taking Anzu's hand and holding it up. "Look at how long her nails are."

Yuugi was about to argue with Mai that he didn't want Anzu to do it; he didn't want any of his friends to do it, but then Anzu laughed and waved her hand in a dismissing manner.

"You know, Mai makes a good point, Yuugi," she said light-heartedly. "I have no problem doing it."

"But—" Yuugi tried, but was cut off by Mai.

"Yuugi, this is a quest game. We not only have to find the three coins, we have to get them too and that may be the hardest part," Mai said in a gentle voice.

"A quest game?" Yuugi questioned.

Mai nodded. "Remember that time I told you all about the different kinds of games? Different games fall into different categories. The first Game Yami played was a race game, then the second was a hunting game, and this is a quest game."

Honda tapped his chin in thought. "It is natural for humans to go on quests and find things, so I guess this Game is in our favor. We actually know what we are doing."

The Cheshire Cat purr sounded again; the machine's mouth got stuck and remained open.

While everyone else was discussing, Anzu stood in front of the mechanical trashcan, examining her long nails that had been chipped and dirtied during the mine ride. Without any more thought, she reached up and put her hand in.

Honda was the one who noticed first and shouted, which made everyone jump in surprise.

Anzu's face was set as she reached farther and farther down the cat's mouth, her arm disappearing as she reached and grabbed for whatever was back there.

Finally, after a minute or two of tensed silence, Anzu smiled in triumph. "I feel something. I think I've got—"

Then, before anyone could realize what was happened, the machine's squinted eyes shot open and glowed red. The tabby blue-gray fur became lifelike and the tail swished in a predatorily fashion. It purred again, but this time is came out more like a low roar, as if the grinning cat had become a lion.

The mouth that had been hanging open snapped shut, trapping Anzu's arm up to her elbow.

Anzu screamed.

"Anzu!" Honda cried, holding his pick high above his head, as if he was about to charge and attack the beast.

"No Honda!" Mai shouted to stop him. "That thing is not flesh, we can't hurt it. We're going to have to pull Anzu out!"

Anzu gave out a scream again as the cat pulled Anzu closer until it trapped her arm up to her bicep. "Ow! Help me, you guys!" It was dragging her arm further and further in. "This thing wants to take my arm off!" Tear were rolling down her cheeks.

Honda went up behind Anzu and hooked his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. Anzu cried out in pain again. "No, stop it! It hurts; don't pull!"

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Honda shouted to the rest of his friends behind him.

Yuugi took a moment to think this over in his head. It had its teeth clamped firmly around Anzu's arm and didn't seem to be letting go. When Honda pulled, it didn't help release Anzu at all. They needed to do something to unclench the machine's jaw…

"Mai!" Yuugi shouted. "Try and pry the cat's teeth apart with your pick. Honda, wait until my signal and then pull."

Anzu was still screaming and crying in pain.

Mai wedged the pick upside down between the cat's perfect white teeth, then pulled down on the handle. Yuugi helped too. Mai's face was red from the exertion and she put all of her weight against the handle as Yuugi prayed that it wouldn't snap in half.

Then Yuugi felt something shift and give way; the jaw was moving apart.

"Honda, now!" Yuugi cried.

Honda pulled and Anzu's arm slid out. Anzu shrieked again as she fell backwards and on top of Honda.

Mai and Yuugi fell too as the cat's jaw went completely slack and there was nothing to support the pick anymore. The cat purred once more, its eyes closed again, and the jaw snapped shut.

Mai grabbed her pick that had fallen to the ground and sighed.

Yuugi saw Anzu cradling her right arm and noticed that it was red, like someone had punched her arm repeatedly, and had giant bruises. She hissed in pain when Honda moved it to try and examine it closer.

Honda gave her an apologetic look and cast a glance toward Seto and Bakura, who had been staying back during that whole experience. "Got any aspirin?" he asked the other two men.

Seto sighed and reached into his large coat pocket and pulled out a simple white bottle and Bakura offered her his canteen. Anzu accepted both silently, her left hand shaking as she downed the pills and took a swig of water.

Honda shed his top layer jacket and made a make-shift sling for the girl; it turns out she couldn't move her right arm at all and after seeing the damage done, no one blamed her. Yuugi was afraid that her shoulder may have been dislocated.

"Are you okay?" Honda asked for the fifth time.

Anzu giggled and nodded her head. She passed something from her right hand to her left and held it up triumphantly, despite being injured. Held between her forefinger and thumb was a solid gold coin with a bow stamped on its side.

Everyone let out loud, joyous laughter as soon as they saw the gold coin. Honda swept Anzu up into a hug and she let out a stream of curses. "Oop, sorry," he said, then chuckling. "But you didn't let go of it, I'm so proud of you!"

Anzu laughed and turned towards Mai. "Thank you, Mai. It's a good thing that your pick wasn't flimsy."

Mai looked like she wanted to say something, maybe apologize. She just smiled and shook her head. "Well, if the celebrating is over, we should move. We're kind of exposed out here and anything could get us." She walked over to Anzu and plucked the coin out of her hand. "Thank you, I'll take good care of it and make sure we won't lose it."

"Where do we go now?" Seto asked.

Bakura crossed his arms over his chest as he thought. "Well, I say that we go to everything that is lit up and working; that seems like the obvious place to go and where we can find a coin. I mean, the merry-go-round was lit up and the demon trashcan was near it and it had a coin."

Honda picked Anzu up bridal-style. "So we just look for anything that is working?" he asked.

"I don't like this idea of being led around," Mai said crossly.

Yuugi was starting to worry about Mai. She has been acting really strange, and he hated to say this about his cousin, but kind of like a bitch.

"Well, what's that down there?" Honda asked, gesturing to tiny white lights that twinkled between dark trees; it was beyond the merry-go-round and past a stretch of greenery.

Yuugi squinted. "I think that's the arcade."

"I guess that is where we are going next," Bakura said with an air of finality.

_Elsewhere ~_

"_Run, run, run."_

_The sound of pounding feet, or was that the sound of his heart thumping in his ears? _

"_Run, run as fast as you can."_

_His feet were bleeding and it hurt to run against the hard, rocky ground. _

"_Get away."_

_He felt the warmth of the fire burn his back and he realized that someone was running ahead of him; he was following him, trying to keep pace. _

"_They're right behind us."_

_Someone was holding his hand to make sure they wouldn't lose each other. _

"_Come on."_

_He fell and then the next thing he knew, he was on his back with large man hovering over him; grinning manically. _

"_Don't hurt him."_

_There was someone tied to a tree, but he didn't know who; he couldn't see the person's face because his eyes were swollen shut after being beaten. His whole body hurt and it felt like he was dying._

"_Don't close your eyes."_

_His whole body was so numb from the pain that dying was painless. He felt searing pain, as if he was being branded again and then he felt the darkest feeling enter his heart. That is the last thing he remembers before dying. Endless pain and darkness; he screamed. _

"Malik."

Malik jumped in surprise and pounced on the person who had snuck up behind him. He straddled them and pressed his palms down on his throat. His eyes were wild and unfocused and all he recognized was a pair of violet eyes similar to his own, staring up and him sadly.

Malik's vision cleared and he saw Marik pinned under him.

"What did you see?" Marik asked solemnly.

During his stay here in the Shadow Realm, Malik was no longer afraid of what Marik was or what he could do to him; Malik was afraid of who he was and what he could do. He had grown closer to Marik but at the same time had retreated into his own little shell.

"How many secrets do the Shadow Men hold?" Malik asked. Marik was quiet. "Who the hell am I?"

-/-

**Ranko: Rawr! Why did I have so much trouble with the last part of this chapter? I loved it and if any of you are confused, it will all be explained, and trust me, your sweet little minds will be blown!**

**Yami: Took you long enough to get this chapter out. **

**Ranko: I know, right? And its so short…oh well. **

**Yuugi: Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ranko: I noticed that a few people were asking about what happened with Malik at the end of the last chapter. Let me just say, that there is a bonus chapter at the end of Ready or Not that explains all of that so I suggest you read it! It was a gift for Sozan-Uzumaki who so generously makes the cover pages for The Shadow Game series. **

**Yami: The bonus chapter Ranko is talking about is chapter 17 of Ready or Not. **

**Yuugi: Without further ado, it is time to answer reviews. **

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** I guess that you're right, but I wouldn't call them stupid ;) just not very smart at times. I mean, they've been through a lot of crap and they are tired, so yeah. Also, Mai still has the number 2 on her side because the last few chapter (actually, all of them) has been the span of about a day, so its still 2. All will be revealed soon ;) Thanks and please continue to review!**

**IlluminatedWord:**** Welcome, we're all mad here! Poor Yuugi and poor Anzu too! Why did you have to be attacked by my favorite cat? There will be more tendershipping a promise you that! You are correct, Ryou is connected to Akefia in some way, which will be explained. Everyone is just so lonely! Thank you and please continue to review!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** Its all good, that kind of thing happens to me all the time. It is not weird that bronzeshipping is one of your favorite couples, I love Malik and Marik together! They are just too cute; its too bad there is not more of it. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**Great:**** I don't think that he is becoming insane, there is a reason for what is happening to him which will be explained this chapter. Please continue to review!**

**lilpopsplash:**** You always make me feel so loved!**

**Cascade00:**** Not all of their past is revealed yet, so you might want to hold onto your seat because this is going to be a wild ride! There will be more juicy info coming up. And yes, Yuugi and Yami did have past life together (chapter 8). Please continue to review!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Actually, the past life thing was my own original idea. You're reviews always make me smile :)**

**Zeladious:**** You are very close (to what happened in Malik and Marik's past). But I ask that you please read chapter 17 of Ready or Not so you can understand it better :) thank you. Also, more will be revealed this chapter. Please continue to review!**

**ak:**** No! Spoiler alert! :)**

**yugioh fan:**** Unfortunately, I cannot add Dartz in here.**

**LobaKarina15:**** Oh, thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it so much. But you know that it was Suguroku that Yami met so long ago, right? Please continue to review!**

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** Yeah, you can hug me! I love hugs! Thank you so much!**

**raindropdew:**** You've reviewed, haven't you? Or is my memory just that bad? Oh well, thank you so much!**

**Dinogirl:**** Welcome back, I hope that you had a fun trip! Maybe the Shadow Men can be saved, maybe not; you'll just have to read and find out ;) I'm evil like that. Thank you, you make me feel so loved. **

**Cheshirecat23The:**** You're back! I'm so glad to receive a review from you again and I am really sorry that you can't get into your account, bummer :( I understand what you mean, my feelings for Yami really teeter back and forth, but I just can't help but love him. A lot of people have used a lot of different adjectives to describe me, never epicness though. Thank you and please continue to review!**

**Yuugi: Ranko has some really exciting news for you guys at the end of the chapter, so stick around till the end to find out!**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing…you guys know this. **

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Malik sat on top of Marik, his palms pressing down on the Shadow Man's muscular throat. Malik was breathing heavily and was staring at Marik with an almost crazed look in his eyes. "Tell me, Marik, who am I?" he asked again.

Marik stared up at Malik with a touch of sadness in his eyes that made Malik want to scream; how dare he belittle him. "Nahum," Marik began.

Malik shook his head quickly. "Why the hell do you keep calling me that? I am not Nahum! My name is Malik, damn it!" Spit flew from his mouth. He wanted Marik to be angry with him and torture him like he did the last two Games; that was familiar, that he could handle, but not…_this_. This kindness and patience.

"Alright…Malik," Marik said with a sign of defeat. "You know that all Shadow Men were once human before they were born as we are now." Malik nodded wordlessly and Marik continued. Marik lifted his hand and cupped Malik's cheek. "You…you are so familiar to me; you always have been. I've seen your face before, in a different time at a different place. And I know now that you are here, that you hold the spirit of someone I loved very much in my past life. I was forced to watch this person be tortured and then killed before my eyes…" Marik had tears in his eyes. "Nahum."

Malik shook his head. "No, I am not this person from your past life; that's impossible!"

Marik continued to stay calm. "Haven't you been wondering why you have been having those strange visions? Hearing those voices that are so familiar but you know you have never heard them before?"

Malik finally lifted his hands from Marik's throat. "No…"

Marik lifted himself up and leaned back on his elbows. "Malik, you were once Nahum, I know that you were. Nahum died after he was tortured by a group of bandits that burned down our village. They forced me to watch while it all happened."

Malik covered his eyes with his hands and began to shake even more violently. "N-no…"

Marik removed Malik's hands from his face and made the smaller boy look at him. "Malik, there is something else that you need to know…"

"No!" Malik screamed. He got off of Marik's lap and ran. And ran…and ran.

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi and his group of friends had traveled over to the arcade and were currently inside, wondering around. Yuugi and Mai had noticed that the arcade was how it used to be when they were kids; there was nothing new about it and there were the classic little machines that Yuugi remembered spending all his pocket change—or all of his parents' pocket change—on.

As Yuugi wondered around in excitement—he was glad that he had found something familiar in this haunted park—his other friends seemed hesitant to let their guard down.

"Do you think we should try some of this stuff?" Bakura asked. Anzu shivered and held her broken arm closer to her; Yuugi and everyone else knew why. She was afraid for the same thing that happened with the Cheshire Cat to happen again.

"I guess we have to," Anzu said slowly. "In case there is a coin in one of them; what better place to hide one, right? Just stay back from them…and if anything goes on by itself, run."

Everyone nodded and began to explore around the arcade to look for small gold coins.

Yuugi ventured a little further down, near the back of the arcade. There were some things that he didn't want to touch that he knew would probably make great traps. After what happened at the mine, he wasn't taking any chances.

Yuugi saw a shabby wooden box with dark glass. There was a sign above it that read: HAVE THE GYPSY READ YOUR FUTURE ON HER CRYSTAL BALL! ONLY 10 CENTS!

Below there was a sticker above a small slot that said: RECEIVE PREDICTION HERE.

Yuugi couldn't remember if he had ever tried this as a kid or not. He shrugged and slipped the dime in the coin slot.

He heard the small dime clunk in the innards of the machine. A faint buzzing followed and then a mechanical ticking. The glass brightened, illuminated by two light bulbs that he didn't notice before.

The lights shined above the gypsy woman who was maybe two feet tall and had a strange sadness in her eyes. The machine began to move like clockwork. Her strange colored eyes opened and closed. The mouth moved the same way; it was like she was mumbling to herself.

The little gypsy wore a bright colored dress and there was a silky cloth wrapped around her head, where her lanky black hair fell to her shoulders. Her hands were positioned over a crystal ball. He noticed that her nails were painted black and her hands were tiny. Whoever created this was definitely an excellent artist. Her features were just right and she almost looked real.

A strange feeling came over Yuugi. It was a squeezing in his chest. The automaton looked so familiar but he knew that was impossible. It was just a gimmick; nothing more. But he also couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing; trapped in that box…

The gypsy's hands began to move up and down, around the crystal ball. Her eyes rolled and moved back at forth.

Her lower lip moved again and Yuugi noticed white painted teeth.

Yuugi couldn't get over how familiar this automaton looked. There was something about the plastic face, a face frozen forever to be sad.

The glass eyes rolled again and stared straight at Yuugi. The machine's eyes matched his own amethyst colored eyes.

Yuugi knew.

He knew for sure then but he refused to accept it. It was too bizarre, too impossible, too unlikely. But what other possible truth could there be? He internally shook his head and slammed that idea in that back of his mind, far away from thought.

There was a soft clicking as the card popped out at the bottom. He reached for it reflexively, not really giving it much thought and turned the card over to read it.

MY DARLING YUUGI

Yuugi felt himself beginning to faint as the simple words swam in his eyes. He couldn't seem to control his body; it was trembling so horribly. It felt like his stomach was doing flips. He couldn't feel his legs and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground.

He heard the pounding of footsteps as his friends rushed towards him. He felt Mai's arms around him and he leaned into his cousin.

He heard his friends ask him the typical questions. "Are you alright?" "What happened?" "Did that machine do something to you?"

Yuugi ignored the questions and stared up at the gypsy-fortune telling box. The lights were still on and he could see the gypsy's shadow against the glass.

He knew that automaton looked familiar. There was no one else with eyes exactly like Yuugi's…

"It's my mother," Yuugi whispered; it was really just a breath. "Mai, its mama…its my mother." Mai sucked in a sharp breath and looked down at Yuugi as if she were saying to him, "Don't lie to me."

He felt someone put a hand on his should and telling him that he needed some water. Yuugi slapped that person's hand away and stood up so quickly that the room began to spin around him.

"No!" he cried. "Don't humor me!" He stood defensively in front of the wooden box. "That's my mother in there—the Shadow Men did that to her. Oh God!" Yuugi covered his face with his hands as he began to cry. "I thought that both of my parents were dead but this…this is much worse."

Mai stood up to join her cousin, trying to get him to calm down. Then she caught sight of the gypsy woman in the glass and saw her bright amethyst eyes. Mai's own eyes widened. "Oh my, God…" she said breathlessly. "Its my aunt."

Another card popped out.

HELLO MAI, MY DEAR.

Mai shook her head in disbelief. "There's no way."

Another click.

PLEASE HELP ME.

Mai took the card and gaped; she passed it around and let everyone else see what was written on the small piece of paper. Everyone looked at the box now, a little more convinced.

"See! She's trapped in there and she wants out!" Yuugi cried. Mai put an arm around her cousin as he began to shake again and she made soothing shushing noises.

Yuugi looked over Mai's shoulder at the gypsy trapped behind the glass. He had always thought the Shadow Men would eat his parents; he remembered the hunger in their eyes. But whatever they had done with their bodies, he knew that his mother's soul was here.

He squirmed out of Mai's hold and went closer to the box. "What happened to papa?"

The gypsy's hands moved up and down and her eyes moved side to side; a card popped out.

YOUR FATHER IS NOT HERE.

Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows together. "Where is he?"

HE WAS KILLED BY THE SHADOW MEN.

Yuugi gasped as fresh tears sprung in his eyes; he quickly covered his mouth with his hand to keep from sobbing.

There was a click as another card popped out.

THEY SPARED MY LIFE BUT THEY TRAPPED ME HERE…

The room on the card ran out and another followed it immediately.

AS PUNISHIMENT.

As Yuugi read these cards, blurred from the tears in his eyes, he realized something. Yami had said that this Shadow Park had been created ten years ago for a special purpose. He finally put two and two together; ten years ago was when his parents were taken away by the Shadow Men.

"They killed my father and they trapped by mother here so she could never die. This is punishment," Yuugi said just above a whisper. "They trapped her in this box the same way that my parents trapped them in a closet."

Honda gulped and Mai's nostrils flared.

Another card popped out and Mai reached for it this time.

LOOK IN THE BLACK CABINET.

"There," Seto pointed out behind them. Everyone turned and saw a shiny black machine with a wide, darkened oval window. It looked rather new and there was a sign above it, just like the gypsy machine, that read: SPEAK TO THE SPIRITS. ASK ANY YES OR NO QUESTION. 10 CENTS.

Yuugi knew this kind of game. The window lit up and a plastic skull nodded or shook its head.

Seto stepped up with a dime in his hand and slipped it in the slot.

The glass brightened. There wasn't a skull inside, but a head with closed eyes. The head was illuminated from below with a strange blue light. As soon as the window lightened, Anzu screamed and Bakura looked away. Mai squeezed Yuugi's arm tightly and Seto looked very green. Honda leaned his head against a far wall, not wanting to look.

Inside the cabinet was the head of Soren.

"Oh God," Yuugi said. He walked closer to the machine and leaned his hands against the glass. The poor boy; he never wanted to be a part of this whole mess. He never wanted to be controlled by Yami. He didn't _ask_ for this. Why him?

It felt like ice water had been dumped over Yuugi's head.

"Ryou," Yuugi whispered quietly. "If Ryou—what if Ryou…?"

Bakura shook Yuugi by the shoulders. "Yuugi, calm down."

"What if we find Ryou…like _that_?" he asked, pointed towards Soren's head.

Before Bakura could say anything, there was a click as another card was dispersed from the gypsy-fortune telling machine. Mai took it out quickly and flipped it over; it read:

LOOK IN THE QUEEN'S CHOPPING BLOCK

"That doesn't sound good," Honda said.

"Do you think it is about Ryou?" Anzu asked before Bakura could.

"Or a gold coin?" Seto added.

Soren's bodiless head slowly bobbed up and down. Anzu quickly shielded her eyes. "Please, make that thing stop; it is so disturbing."

"I think that is our answer," Mai said, indicating to the nodding head.

"Yeah, but is it about Ryou or the coin?" Bakura asked impatiently.

Anzu shivered. "I don't care, let's just get out of here."

"No," Yuugi said softly. "We can't leave her, we can't leave my mother," Yuugi said, slowly moving back towards the gypsy box. He shook his head. "No, we can't go anywhere." He leaned his forehead against the glass. "There has to be some way I can help her."

"Yuugi," Mai said gently, putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "There is nothing we can—" Yuugi shrugged Mai's hand off and didn't look up from the glass. Mai sighed and her arms dropped to her side lifelessly. "Okay, what are you going to do to help her?"

Yuugi didn't know. If he could, he would just stay here with her forever. He didn't want to leave her alone, all by herself in this scary place again. She had been alone for ten years with no company; just wishing and waiting to die in peace but never getting that satisfaction to join her husband.

Yuugi knew that she would rather be dead than we like this forever. But how do you kill something that isn't alive, only trapped?

Yuugi remembered how his mother used to comfort him when he got scared as a child. He wished he could do that now for her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" he whispered against the glass.

His mother and father had taken his place; they had given themselves to the Shadow Men to save him and they had both paid the price. His father was dead and his mother was trapped here. But now, Yuugi could do nothing to help something that could not be fixed.

He stepped away from the glass and closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see those glass eyes frozen in eternal sadness. "We'll go to the Queen's Chopping Block."

Mai nodded and led Yuugi out, a comforting arm around his shoulder. He couldn't believe he was walking away from his mother. Yuugi felt tears sting his eyes. He looked over his shoulder and saw the box still illuminated.

"I—I'm coming back," Yuugi choked out. "I promise; and when I do, I'll help you."

He could have sworn that he saw the painted lips on the gypsy turn upwards in a smile.

As Yuugi and the rest of his friends left, another card popped out of the slot.

GOOD LUCK, MY DARLING.

The quickest way to the Queen's Chopping Block is through the fun house that was right by the arcade. The simple wooden sign WE'RE ALL MAD HERE was illuminated by multicolored lights under it.

They entered through the double mirrored doors. When they entered they were surrounded by trick mirrors. It was a maze in this place but it was lit up by the little fairy lights and the designs that glowed on the mirrors.

There were also the black lights that lit up Seto's white jacket and Bakura's white hair. Yuugi saw Mai's teeth perfectly when she talked; her teeth were so perfectly white that they couldn't help but catch the black light.

The designs on the mirrors changed from pixies and flowers to broken hearts and fake blood dried on to the mirrors. The maze of mirrors changed into dark stoned-wall corridor with unsteady floorboards. There were displays ever few feet; it was like a museum and their displays.

There was a sign that Yuugi remembered seeing earlier that day when they had ended up here. It read: _Any children turn back now!_

In the displays were different kinds of torture scenes. The wax figures were set up as either the victims or the torturers. There was every kind of device to burn, cut, or maim and Yuugi hated to even describe it.

"God, I hate this," Anzu muttered, keeping her eyes downward as they began to walk down the corridor. "Why did your mom tell us to come here, Yuugi? It's so creepy and disgusting."

Mai suddenly stopped and leaned against the closest wall. She looked down at the ground and was breathing heavily, sweat rolling down her temples; she had a hand at her side and she was mumbling something intelligible.

Yuugi quickly went over to his cousin. "Mai, are you alright?"

Mai nodded. "Yeah, just give me a minute," she said, rubbing her side as if she had a cramp.

"What are you mumbling?" Yuugi asked.

Mai sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. "It's this line from a kung fu movie I watched as a little girl; I watched it with the nanny since my parents were always gone. The line is, 'I am my only master.'"

"I am my only master," Yuugi repeated, testing how the words felt when he said it. He liked that. The Shadow Men may be the game masters of this world but they could not control her. "Is it helping?" he asked.

Mai nodded again. "Yeah, it always does help calm me down."

Yuugi could not even picture Mai being scared. She was always so strong and level-headed. When Yuugi or anyone else would have a breakdown, she would always stay stable and help that person until they felt better. The idea of Mai being just as weak and vulnerable and _afraid_…he couldn't imagine it.

Or maybe she was just that good of an actress and hid her true feelings that well.

When Mai had gotten her breathing under control and calmed down, they continued down the corridor. Yuugi had a strange feeling about this place and it wasn't just the different means of torture. There was something that was wrong; the atmosphere was different.

They had to check ever wax figure, staring into their faces, deep into their eyes. After finding Yuugi's mom and Soren's head in the arcade, they needed to know if the soul of another person they knew was trapped here.

None of the eyes looked like Ryou's. They did not have that same shine; the same _glow_. Bakura eagerly went from display to display, ignoring the torture scene and staring into the wax figures' eyes for a good fifteen seconds each and then walked away disappointed before hurriedly going to the next display.

He felt someone tap his shoulder and he turned around and saw Seto staring wide eyed at a certain display a little further up. He didn't look disgusted, it was more along the lines of borderline shock.

"Yuugi…" Seto said; he coughed clearing his throat that was dry and raspy. He pointed and Yuugi followed his finger. "White."

Yuugi saw what he meant.

There was a pile of white on a round, wooden table. Above it, suspended by a rusty chain, was a huge wooden disk with bloody iron spikes. It was just a pool of white.

But there was something inside the fine material.

The white was lying on the table, encasing a human body. The figure's face was turned away from Yuugi, but he saw the tiny, barefooted feet that were as pale as snow—just as the rest of the person's skin. And he recognized the silky white hair that was currently a tangled mess on the person's head.

Yuugi was frozen in place.

This was all happening so fast and so quickly that Yuugi was not prepared for it.

"_You can die in this world but you do not die, you simply move on to another realm. It's quite strange really. Usually you move world to world at random, but I made sure that Ryou would be taken care of."_

"_So, he's still alive somewhere?"_

"_Yes, if you can win the Game that is."_

Yuugi remembered Yami saying that to him in the first Game. He had always known that they were looking for Ryou, no matter how different Ryou may be now. He knew that Ryou was still alive and that he would find him. But now he was face to face with the thought and he couldn't cope with it.

He didn't want to go and look, he didn't want to know the truth. He glanced at the others; they had noticed and they were also paralyzed, unprepared and shocked. Even Bakura seemed a little lost.

No matter how much the voice in his head tried to deny this face, he knew that that figure was not just a normal wax figure.

The huge disk swung on its chain above the table.

Why weren't his legs moving?

As Yuugi was having this internal battle in his head, Bakura had seemed to get his bearings and had found the motivation in his mind to move forward.

He had not noticed that Bakura had started moving until he was close enough to touch the figure lying on the wooden table.

The log swung, creaking.

Bakura reached for the figure's shoulder.

Yuugi had not realized he had taken so many steps forward before he reached out for Bakura and cried, "_Look out!_"

-/-

**Ranko: Yes, I am ending it there, because I am a bitch! I am also really sorry for updating late (did I?) time really got away from me!**

**Yami: Yeah, yeah, aren't you going to tell your reviewers the big news?**

**Ranko: Oh yeah! Well, a lot of you may already know this if you have read Not All Princes Are Frogs. Well, I got an email from a cosplayer (XxHeartlessAxelxX) and she told me she was going to make a cosplay movie of The Shadow Game! I am so excited and she is worth checking out on deviantart, she is a really cool cosplayer. Her YouTube channel is ThirdMoonCosplayers (where she will be posting the movie). I will keep you guys updated!**

**Yuugi: I believe that is everything! Please leave a review and tell Ranko what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ranko: …I'm pretty sure I was supposed to tell you guys something but I forgot what it was. **

**Yuugi: You're not serious, are you?**

**Ranko: I am completely serious. **

**Yami: (sighs) The sad thing is that I remember what you wanted to tell them. **

**Ranko&Yuugi: You do?**

**Yami: Yes, but it will be my dirty little secret for now. You guys will found out what is so important in about five days, on June 26. **

**Ranko: Damn you, Yami!**

**Yami: Just answer your reviews. **

**Ranko: Fine…**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Yes, I am the Queen! No one can take my throne! All will bow down to me! (insert evil laugh here) Ahem, I apologize…what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, the story! Yes, Malik is the reincarnation of Marik's friend AND lover (OMR plot twist)! It sure would suck if that wasn't really Ryou, huh? About Ryou's role in Akefia's life, I don't want to say too much but all of Akefia's past life has not been revealed yet ;) Yes, I do not give any of my characters mercy! Because I can do whatever I want, because I am Queen! …O_O I'm going to go now. **

**Tyrant Dragon Knight:**** Thank you for the hug, lovely! (I call everyone 'lovely' or 'darling' or something like that so please don't be freaked out). I don't suggest hugging those two, they may look sweet but they are pure evil inside! Do not show them weaknesses, the hikaris will take over the world, run for your life! I swear, I am not usually like this in real life, I'm just really happy for some reason!**

**lilpopsplash:**** Oh please, God, no. Um…whatever you want me to write, I'll write it, just please don't kill me! TT_TT Oh, thank you for liking last chapter so much! I still love you!**

**YinYang Moon Dragon:**** I don't know what makes me happier, the cookies or the fact that you wrote "OMR" in your review! :)**

**IlluminatedWord:**** Yes! Bakura's hair under black lights! It is an amazing sight. Why can't I just "end it there?" I am the all powerful Ranko! Ahem, worry no longer, my subject (O_O?) I have brought forth an update for your eyes to read (now I'm just being creepy, I'll stop). Oh…the "please" at the end touched me right in the feels! I just imagined Yuugi's puppy dog eyes. I'll try my best!**

**Dream the Fox:**** How could I just leave you with a cliffhanger, you ask? Because I am the Queen of Cliffhangers, my dear ;)**

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** Well, in the original book, it was actually her grandfather because he sacrificed himself to the Shadow Men. I hope that its Ryou :( or I'm going to be sad.**

**Great:**** I wished that it worked like that, but something in my mind won't let me think that way (about Yuugi's dad moving to another realm). But I think once you're killed by the Shadow Men, you're done. So, lets go with the second option ;)**

**sea girl:**** No…I cannot…resist…the puppy dog eyes!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** Aw! You're review just made me laugh for a good few minutes. I was actually saying the review out loud and I was halfway through the "NO" when my dad walked in. He gave me a look and walked away ^^ You are the first person to give Soren's head some love! All I have heard is "Poor Yuugi's mom!" I was thinking, "What about Soren?" Oh, and no problem ;) **

**Cheshirecat23The:**** Yes, I am the Queen of Cliffhangers after all ;) I love that title just a little but too much, but oh well. Yes, I am the EPIC Queen of Cliffhangers now! …Yeah, that works. Thank you for giving Soren some love by the way! **

**Cascade00:**** I don't know! What is going on?! Breathe…breathe, its okay; it will all be okay. About Yuugi's dad, I don't know. I felt like someone needed to die at that moment and I was like "Why not the father?" I didn't really give it much thought, it just sort of happened. **

**Yuugi: That is a lot of reviews…**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

"_Hello," the boy with white hair in front of him said softly, soothingly; it was as if he was dealing with a frightened animal. He smiled at him despite just having been beaten and blood was dripping down his feet from the shackles secured around his ankles that were rubbing his skin raw. "What's your name?"_

_He backed further back into his corner in the dark, dank cell he was sharing with the boy who looked like he was his age; twelve, or maybe thirteen. He didn't answer the boy and just rubbed his arms to keep warm. _

_The boy's smile never wavered. "My name is Akefia."_

_The boy peaked up from under his wild bangs with unexpressive brown eyes. "Ryou…" the boy mumbled under his breath, so softly that Akefia almost didn't hear him. _

_Akefia smiled and crawled closer to the corner Ryou was huddled in. "It's nice to meet you, Ryou." He put an arm around the tinier boy's shoulder and he flinched. "I know that this isn't easy, I've been a prisoner and slave to these bandits for a few years now. You just have to be stronger than they are and make sure they don't affect you."_

_Ryou scooted a little farther away from Akefia. "They killed my whole family."_

"_I know how that feels," Akefia said. "My mother and father were killed in front of me and then they took my big brother. I was so young when it happened, I barely remember his face." Akefia smiled sadly. "I've been lonely for so long, I've had no one. But now, you're here too."_

_Ryou peaked over his shoulder at Akefia. _

"_Do you want to be friends while we're stuck in this hell together?" Akefia asked. _

_Ryou snorted. "No one want in my village ever wanted to be my friend. They thought I was strange for having white hair and fair skin."_

_Akefia was silent for a moment and then said, "I may not have fair skin, but I have white hair." Ryou finally fully turned around to look at Akefia in surprise. He didn't notice before in the dim lighting, but this close to the boy, Ryou noticed a jagged scar run down his left eye. "So I guess we're friends now."_

Ryou felt himself being shaken from his sleep harshly. He groaned and squeezed more tightly shut. What was all the shouting about? What was that clattering noise above him? And why did he feel secure arms around him?

* * *

Staring at Ryou sleeping peacefully in Bakura's arms almost made Yuugi cry, but his blood was still pumping so harshly in his veins; he couldn't find the energy to cry. He needed to see Ryou open his eyes; he needed to stare into those beautiful chocolate eyes that always appeared in his memory when he was upset.

Bakura was rocking Ryou in his arms gently, telling him to wake up and open his eyes; he was basically voicing Yuugi's thoughts out loud.

Then Ryou stirred in Bakura's eyes. He groaned and peeled one eye open, rubbing it tiredly. He yawned cutely and it didn't seem like it registered in his mind where he was yet.

"I'm so tired…" he said in a groggy voice. His vision cleared and he saw all eyes on him. He stared timidly at everyone, obviously feeling uncomfortable at all the attention being on him. "What?"

Then all the tears came. Bakura clutched Ryou tightly, pressing the smaller boy against his body; he looked like he was going to break the boy. He cried into the boy's hair and kissed the top of the boy's head over and over again.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Ryou was dead. The flush in his cheeks, so warm and alive, proved that his heart was beating. And his skin was not that disgusting goo that Soren's body turned into. He looked alright and completely normal, the exact way he had looked whenever he stood in Yuugi's kitchen making Sukiyaki for Jou's birthday.

Yuugi could not say anything, no one could. Except Bakura; he kept repeating, "I love you" to the boy. Ryou had squirmed his trapped arms out of Bakura's grip and patted the man on the back gently, like he always did. He stroked Bakura's hair and spoke comforting words in his ear.

"Bakura, its okay, I'm okay," Ryou said. Bakura pulled back a little bit so he could look Ryou in the eye. He leaned in and kissed the smaller boy sweetly.

"This is lovely," Seto muttered, turning away from the scene quickly.

"Ryou," Yuugi said softly once he and Bakura had broken up.

Ryou looked up and smiled softly at Yuugi. "Hi Yuugi."

Yuugi hiccupped and fell to his knees to hug Ryou. "It's really you," Yuugi cried out as he squeezed his friend tightly.

"Of course it's me, who else would it be?" Ryou asked, chuckling.

Bakura scooped Ryou in his arms bridal style and lifted him up. Ryou squeaked, clutching Bakura's shoulders tightly. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Bakura asked.

Ryou giggled. "I told you, I'm fine."

"Ryou," Yuugi said again, choking on his tears, because that seemed like the only thing he could say. Ryou was here; he was alive and breathing and warm. The last time he saw the boy, his eyes were wide with terror and his screams were piercing Yuugi's ear drums. But now he was here, where he was supposed to be.

These thoughts made Yuugi so dizzy; it was a lot to take in. His heart was skipping, though he couldn't tell if it was out of joy or if he was anxious. His heart had been skipping all night.

Being here, in the Shadow Realm, it was different. There was adrenaline that coursed through him, flooding from his toes to the top of his head. But now that Ryou was here, he felt lighter; it was like he was a balloon being lifted up towards the ceiling.

All he could think was, 'thank you.'

Because, even staring at Ryou now; even after he had touched his hand and felt his pulse beat through his wrist, he couldn't believe the boy was here with them…in his own body and not trapped like…

'Thank you, thank you, thank you.'

But then he thought of something else. Ryou was with them, they were all together now. But…where they were was not safe. Now Ryou was in just as much danger to the Shadow Men as the rest of them were. Ryou was playing this Game with them now and after what happened in the first Game, all Yuugi wanted to do was wrap Ryou in bubble wrap.

Yuugi didn't think that Ryou could go through the horrors of this Game. He didn't think that he could handle all of Yami's tricks and his gamesmanship. Ryou was gambling with them now.

And anything could happen before they got home.

If anything, these thoughts helped Yuugi. It felt fuel the spark inside of him. It gave him a new determination. He would make sure that Ryou got out of this Game alive, even if he had to go up against Yami to make sure that happened.

"Ryou," Bakura said softly; Yuugi forgot what Bakura sounded like when he talked to Ryou, it brought out a whole new side of the man. "I promise that I will keep you safe and I will protect you this time, do you understand me?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes; so, what is this new Game about?"

Yuugi gave Ryou a look. "Ryou, you know that we're not in the paper house?"

The boy nodded again. "I've spent this whole time in the Shadow Realm, I am pretty caught up on everything that has happened after…you know," Ryou said the last part in a whisper.

Honda coughed. "Um, I think that w should talk about that later. Maybe when we get out of this chamber of tortures," he said.

Mai nodded. "I don't want another one of those spiked tables to almost fall on one of us again." She turned to Bakura and gave him a thumbs up. "Good tuck and roll by the way, I thought that you were a goner for sure."

Ryou looked up at Bakura curiously. "What does she mean?"

Bakura laughed awkwardly. "Oh, uh, its nothing; just something that happened while you were asleep."

The shift to ordinary—if one could call this Game ordinary—stopped the last of the trembling in Yuugi. It wasn't that he was less happy—he was even happier now that he was getting over his disbelief. The initial joy was over, and now he was crashing from the high. There was a deafening silence filling his ears.

As they began to continue walking down the corridor, Yuugi saw eyes glow in the shadows; they were staring at him and watching him as he moved. The eyes were full of malice.

'I won't let you hurt Ryou,' Yuugi thought, wishing he could project his thoughts to them. 'I promise you that.' And he meant it too. It was like the overall excitement wrapped him in a protective armor; he felt safe. The Shadow Men could stare all they wanted, but they couldn't touch.

Soon after the torture scene where they found Ryou, the Queen's Chopping Block ended. They were surrounded by mirrors again and the black lights made everything white glow. After a few twists and turns, the maze opened up to a small room with a revolving door and a neon sign that read: EXIT.

"Made it," Honda sighed in relief, looking rather pale; no doubt he was still imaging the Queen's Chopping Block.

Ryou, who was now walking on his own, tugged on Bakura's shirt sleeve. "Wait, look at this," he said with a childlike curiosity and a certain eagerness. Everyone else, who was far more experienced in these Games, gave Ryou a rather peculiar look. Ryou was pointing at something behind them.

Everyone turned and followed Ryou's finger. Sitting innocently in the middle of the mirrored hallway they had just came out of was a small white box. It glowed under the black lights and was tied with a pretty red ribbon. Next to the box was a little folded piece of paper and written on the paper was: _Ryou_.

Ryou shrugged and took one step forward; Bakura's hand quickly shot out and grabbed Ryou's wrist. "Are you insane?" Bakura said through clenched teeth. "That could be a trap."

Ryou looked over his shoulder again at the innocent little box. "It doesn't look like a trap."

Bakura bit his bottom lip. "I think you would have to be either blind or stupid to realize that wasn't a trap."

Ryou pulled his wrist out of Bakura's grip and put his hands on his hips; he gave his boyfriend a long, calculating gaze. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Bakura gaped. "What? N-no…"

Yuugi shook his head; Ryou was the only person he knew that could have a face off with Bakura and not be afraid, also he could make Bakura bend over backwards for him with just a bat of his eyelash.

Mai sighed and threw her hands in the air. "Enough of this, I'll just go," she said, taking long, meaningful strides towards the tiny little box. Yuugi wanted to tell Mai not to go but he knew that wouldn't do any good, so he just let it.

Mai stopped in front of the small box and bent down to pick it up. She put the note for Ryou in her pocket and pulled at the end of the ribbon; she let it fall to the ground. She lifted the lid and gasped.

Everyone immediately rushed towards her. They all immediately assumed the worst. Was it a finger? A poisonous spider? None of those things actually. Sitting delicately in the box was a shiny gold coin with a bow stamped on its side.

Honda whistled. "Not a bad gift, Ryou."

Ryou shook his head. "I don't get it."

Mai pulled the note out of her pocket and handed it to Ryou. "Read it."

Ryou unfolded the small note and read it aloud, "_Thank you so much for spending time with me in the Shadow Realm, Ryou. Here is a little gift from me to you. I hope that you and your friends make it out of this Game alive and that you and Bakura are happy together. I'll be rooting for you. Akefia._'

"Akefia?" Bakura asked, his voice rising. Everyone remembered Akefia from both of the Games; their memories of him were not happy ones.

Ryou nodded. "Yeah, I made friends with him; he's nice."

Anzu put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You do realize he stalked you in the first Game, right?" she asked.

Ryou nodded. "Of course, but something happened in the Shadow Realm that made me change my opinion of him."

Bakura scowled. "What kind of things happened?"

Ryou gave Bakura a look. "Don't tell me your jealous."

Bakura huffed. "I am not jealous, I just don't understand how you can like that jerk is all."

"He is not a jerk," Ryou fumed. "You don't know anything about him so you can't say anything."

"I know that he is a sick, malicious Shadow Man who has hurt some of our friends and used you against us plenty of times in the second Game," Bakura said, equally angry.

"Guys," Mai said harshly. "Cut it out."

Ryou sighed and grasped Bakura's hand tightly. "Nothing happened between me and Akefia; I only have feelings for you, you know that. Its just…I saw Akefia's past life."

Yuugi sucked in a sharp breath.

Bakura gave Ryou a confused look. "What do you mean, 'past life?'"

"Before Shadow Men were Shadow Men, they were human. They once lived out human lives and I saw Akefia's human life," Ryou said. "I saw what he was like when he was a human and I know that he is not evil. He is…he's just lost," Ryou said sadly. "He had just a horrible life and he never wanted to be apart of the Shadow Realm."

"How do you know all this?" Bakura asked, squeezing Ryou's hand back.

"Because I was once a part of his life; I was his friend," Ryou said. He shook his head and chuckled. "This all sounds so silly saying it out loud."

Seto shrugged. "I think we've heard stranger."

"Can we just please get out of here?" Honda asked.

Everyone nodded and they all went out the revolving door one by one. Mai was leading the group and Yuugi was taking up the back to make sure everyone got out okay. He pushed Ryou in front of him and then he stepped through the revolving door.

He pushed on the metal arms briskly; he wanted to get out of this fun house as soon as possible. But something wasn't right—he could see that it was pitch black outside through the glass doors. He couldn't even glimpse Ryou or Bakura's hair.

Then he stepped right into a room. He was alone; none of his friends were there waiting for him. He didn't even feel fear grip his heart; dare say that he was used to it.

'Where am I now?'

He felt like he was reciting a play because everything kept repeating itself. He was trapped at some place where he didn't know where he was at, it was completely dark, there were no exits, and he was alone in this room with Yami.

Yep, same old, same old.

He stood in the middle of the room, wearing a black duster jacket and looking like a normal teenage boy. He had his arms crossed over his chest but his hip wasn't cocked. He wasn't grinning or smirking; his mouth of a straight line. There was no playful or mischievous glint in his eyes; he just stared straight ahead at Yuugi.

Why was he so different?

"Yami?" Yuugi called, taking a few more steps further into the room. "Yami!"

Yuugi finally ran towards him; Yami didn't move an inch to come towards him.

Yuugi tried to keep smiling but there was something wrong with Yami that made the atmosphere in the room thicker.

Yuugi tried to remain happy, to Yami that his sudden mood swing did not affect him. "It was you, wasn't it? You gave us back Ryou?"

"I gave _you_ Ryou back," Yami corrected, his voice was subdued and moody. He was more modestly dressed than Yuugi had ever seen. His duster jacket wrapped him in the shadows.

"Thank you," Yuugi said breathlessly. "You don't know—" Yuugi cut himself off; Yami probably did know. He had watched Yuugi for years; he knew what Ryou meant to him. He knew that Ryou was his best friend since he moved to Domino with his grandpa.

"Is he okay?" Yuugi asked. "Like…" Yuugi tapped a finger against his temple.

"He's okay, we've treated him well in the Shadow Realm, like an honored guest. Akefia wouldn't let any of the other Shadow Men come near Ryou." Yami spoke in a flat tone and he looked like a moody teenager. No, moody wasn't the word; distrustful.

Yuugi ignored it and met his shadowed ruby gaze directly. "Thank you," he said again, very quietly and looking at him so that he could see everything he was feeling.

Yami's eyelashes drooped, as if he couldn't hold Yuugi's gaze.

Yuugi touched Yami's arm gently; the taller man flinched. "Yami, you did a good thing. You shouldn't act like you're ashamed."

Yami looked down at Yuugi's hand and took a step back; Yuugi's hand fell to his side. "I did it for my own reasons."

Yuugi bit his bottom lip. "Why are you trying to ruin this? You did it, that's what matters. I don't care who you did it for or why you did it." Yuugi couldn't help but wonder why Yami couldn't just pick a personality and go with it. Last time he saw Yami, he was vulnerable and human. Now he was closed off and cold and resentful.

"You know," Yuugi said, taking a few steps closer to Yami subconsciously. "There was a time when I thought you were completely evil. Completely. But now I don't believe that, I don't think you are as bad as you say you are _or_ think you are."

Yami looked up at Yuugi, the fire in his blood red eyes burning brightly. "That is where you are wrong. Don't count on that, Yuugi."

Yuugi knew that he should have felt fear; he should be frightened of Yami…but he wasn't. That was because he could see past this pathetic façade.

"I still don't believe you," he said confidently.

Yami advanced towards Yuugi, towering over him and trying to look menacing; that didn't fool Yuugi. "I told you, you're wrong. I am what I am, and you or anything else can never change that."

Yuugi curled his hand into a fist. "You didn't kill Ryou in the first Game. You let him live; you saved him."

"Yes," Yami spoke coldly, as if that didn't matter.

"And you could have just let him wonder around the Realms forever, but you made sure he ended up in the Shadow Realm so he could be watched over," Yuugi said.

"…Yes."

"And then there was Haga, Ryuzaki, and Soren. You didn't kill them, did you?"

Yami remained silent.

"Answer the question, Yami!" Yuugi said, starting to get mad. "Did you kill Haga, Ryuzaki, and Soren? Did you make Soren into what he is now?"

"Yes," Yami said, in almost a whisper.

"You're a damn liar!" Yuugi said with a triumphant smile.

Yami looked down at his shoes; Yuugi noticed that they were Vans.

"Did you do, or did you not?" Yuugi asked again.

Yami sighed and with a much more defeated tone, said, "No."

"Then what happened to them?"

Yami sighed again, but this time it sounded my tired. "They opened the door to the closet and let me out. But when I came out…" Yami bit his lip. "They ran. They ran out of the paper house and right into the arms of the other Shadow Men. And Soren…Soren was also killed by the other Shadow Men; they did that to him."

Yuugi gulped; he didn't know why he had always thought Yami had never killed those three. There was something in the back of his mind that wouldn't let him believe that. He knew Yami was a bit of a jackass, but a killer?

"What about my mother and father?" Yuugi asked past the lump in his throat.

Yami's head shot up to look at Yuugi. "You saw you're mother?" Yuugi nodded silently. Yami ran his fingers through his hair. "They killed your father because he was stronger out of the two of them and he had a much more stable life energy. You're mother could barely survive past the threshold to the Shadow Realm. She was useless to them, but they couldn't send her back to the human world, so they put her in that machine."

Yuugi felt his mouth go dry.

Yami shrugged. "I don't know; I didn't really know much about it back then, I was younger. They wouldn't even let me go near her. The only reason I could keep Ryou was because he was mine, my prey that I had caught myself. The only reason I kept him was to use him against you."

"But you didn't," Yuugi said.

Yami was silent for a few moments. "I could have, and I will do it next time."

"What next time, Yami?" Yuugi asked; Yami's eyes widened.

Yuugi took a few steps closer to Yami. "You are not like other Shadow Men, Yami. You could change if you wanted to—I know that you can." He was standing right in front of Yami, having to crane his neck up to still look him in the eye.

"No," Yami said bleakly, "I can't."

The way Yami said that made Yuugi's heart break. "Yami…" Yuugi said. Without thinking, he moved closer and closer until he felt Yami's breath on his lips. "You can change," he whispered. Their lips met and Yuugi's eyes widened as he saw another vision.

"_You realize that princes aren't supposed to love slaves, right?" he asked the thirteen year old Prince of Egypt, three years older than him. _

_He had been pursuing the poor servant boy for months now. As much as he loved the attention he was getting from the prince and that he could spend more time with him, he knew that it was wrong and he could be killed for even being seen with the prince. _

_The prince smiled and tried to hug the servant, but he stepped out of the way before he could get his arms around him. The Prince of Egypt pouted; he couldn't help but giggle at the sight. "I can change."_

_He rolled his eyes. "You can't change being a prince."_

_The prince smiled. "I can try."_

Yami's eyes widened and he quickly pushed Yuugi away. His breathing was harsh and his face was flushed red. Yami's eyes were wide and confused as he stared at Yuugi. He shook his head frantically. "No Yuugi, you're wrong. I am what I want to be."

Yuugi stared at Yami sympathetically; he was just as confused at what he just saw but he knew that it meant something. "Yami—"

The man was pacing. "You want to see what I really am? I'll show you, Yuugi. And I'll enjoy proving to you that I am evil."

Yuugi shook his head. "No, you're not." He knew that Yami was more trying to convince himself that Yuugi. Yami stopped his pacing and spun Yuugi around, The revolving door had reappeared and Yami was pushing him towards it. "Yami, listen to me!"

"Go on, try a little more of the park. See all the surprises I've got waiting, and then we'll talk," Yami said from behind Yuugi.

"_Yami_—" Yuugi tried again; he quickly spun around to face him and found that he was gone.

Yuugi growled low in his throat. "You bastard!" he cried to the empty room. He felt tears collect in his eyes and he hiccupped. Damn him. Why did he always have to do that to him?

He was the most impossibly and the most infuriating…

But he always made Yuugi want to come back for more.

* * *

_The bandits had Akefia tied to a tree in the middle of a great storm. Lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the boom of thunder, as the rain beat down on them and made their cold clothes cling tightly to their skin. _

_One of them muttered in the boy's ear. "We're going to get rid of you once and for all, you useless brat."_

_Akefia gulped; that didn't sound good. _

_The leader of the thieves was standing right under the sky, with no shade or protection as the rain made him look older and more grotesque than normal. He had his hands raised towards the sky and his arms opened up, as if he was offering himself to some higher power. _

"_Great lords of the Shadows!" he yelled above the sudden boom of thunder. "I give to you a young boy as an offering to appease you! You may use him for whatever purpose you see fit! He is yours to take!" Lightning flashed in the sky and the wind howled louder. "Please, accept our fine sacrifice!"_

_A fork of lightning shot from the sky and struck the tree that Akefia was tied to. The bandits surrounding the tree quickly jumped away and covered their ears with their hands. Everyone shielded their eyes from the bright flash and when they looked back up, the tree was not on fire or destroyed, but the young Akefia was gone. _

-/-

**Ranko: And that is the end of this chapter? Are you going to tell me what I forgot now, Yami?**

**Yami: You're going to have to wait until June 26. **

**Ranko: Damn you!**

**Yuugi: Ranko has something to tell the readers.**

**Ranko: I do?**

**Yami: Did you forget that too?**

**Ranko: Nope, I remember now! Okay, so I was reading a story by Wordsorceress the other day and I saw that at the end of her chapter she asked a few questions that she wanted her readers to answer. I thought that looked pretty smart so I wanted to try it out. **

**What was your favorite part?**

**What was your least favorite part?**

**3) Did you see any spelling/grammar errors?**

**4) What did you think of Akefia's past?**

**5) What did you think of Ryou coming back?**

**Ranko: You can answer one of these or all of them. All I really want to do it improve this story for you guys but I cannot do that without a little bit of feedback, because I want this story to be the best it can be for all of you! So please, tell me what you think! As much as I love "That was awesome" tell me what was awesome!**

**Yuugi: Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ranko: All the feedback I got back from you guys was awesome! I feel like I haven't updated on this story in forever…how long has it been? **

**Yami: Almost a week. **

**Ranko: Man! I really need to get on top of this! So let's answer some reviews!**

**Yuugi: Wait. **

**Ranko: What!**

**Yuugi: In case some of you didn't know, Ranko twin turned three years old on June 26****th**** so that is what was so important about that date. **

**Ranko: Yeah, and I wrote a stupid little one shot about it too, cause I'm a nerd like that :P Now can I answer reviews? **

**Yuugi: (sighs) Go ahead…**

**lilpopsplash:**** So you officially approve of Yami and Yuugi's relationship now? What a relief! I have been waiting for your approval all this time and now they can finally be together! Whoa, I sounded really mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way! I loved your review, it made me smile :)**

**IlluminatedWord:**** Yes! I have been telling Yami he is just a jackass this whole time but he doesn't believe me! So now, you are one of my dedicated followers! That sounds much more classy than "subject." ;)**

**YinYang Moon Dragon:**** "Son of a biscuit eating bulldog." I might use that now ;) The line to kill Yami for being an ass forms to the left, take a number :)**

**SincerelyChristina:**** I do that all the time. I will be responding to an email or PM and always going back to the message I got so I know what to say. I'm glad that I made your fangirl heart sing with joy. I did not intentionally add that line in there because it was a line from that movie…actually I've never seen that movie? Is it the one with Amanda Bynes? Okay, back on topic, I wanted to kill those bandits too and I'm the one that did that to Akefia! …I feel sad. **

**The Akatsuki Rocks:**** That sounds like a great idea! I will put it on my list of stories that I plan to do in the future (I take suggestions)! The only thing is that I have this personal rule to myself that I will not do TWO things: Mpreg and genderbending. So I will/might (all depends on the time that I have) but Yuugi will remain his original gender. **

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** Interesting, very interesting ;) I think that you are very close as to why Yami cannot remember his past. But no spoilers!**

**Zeladious:**** Thank you, lovely! Really, you have no idea how much each little correction means to me. There will probably be one point when Checkmate is done that I will go through the trilogy and correct any spelling/grammar error that I find. I'm sure that you don't suck! No one sucks! I can read one or two of your stories and review on them if you want? Also, I made a reference? =3 I have a horrible memory. **

**TheWingedSunDragonofRal13402:**** No love for Akefia? :'( Hmm, I understand that. There are plenty of stories that I read drag the story on and on and I'm just thinking, "Get to the part I want to read already!" All will be revealed soon enough ;)**

**Dinogirl:**** Don't you just hate those moments when the flow of the story is interrupted by such a stupid little mistake like that? I am so, so sorry about that :( I can handle spelling/grammar mistakes but mistakes like that just get under my skin. Thank you for the awesome review though! I loved imaging the prince pout! X3**

**Cascade00:**** I may give the characters a lot of crap but I let them off easy with Ryou ;) I was contemplating: "Make it a challenge or just give them Ryou? Hmm, I think I'll just give them Ryou." Workings of my mind. And now that you know Yami isn't evil, am I the only one who is going back to the last two stories and thinking, "He was never evil! Holy crap!" Now you know the surprise! It was my birthday and I was so happy the whole day! Yes, Bakura and Akefia are different people. I don't think that the Shadow Men's past lives are really reincarnated. It make my head spin just thinking about it. Thank you so much for the awesome review!**

**Ranko: Okay, I personally apologize to all those people whose reviews I did not answer. I love you all. Here, take a cookie. **

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing. **

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Malik sat curled in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. He was leaning against Jounouchi, the blond's arm tightly around his shoulder to support him. Malik was whimpering like a child during a thunder storm, covering his ears with his hands, trying to block out the voices in his head that he didn't recognize but at the same time he did.

Jounouchi made soft shushing noises to calm the boy down, holding him tighter. "Its going to be okay, Malik, calm down."

Malik shook his head furiously. "No, Jounouchi, you don't understand. I…I'm so scared." Tears began to roll down his cheeks. He didn't know why he was crying. He didn't know whether it was because of the unbearable ache in his chest—which he couldn't explain for some reason—or the fear of not knowing.

He was scared of what Marik had told him. He was scared of what Marik had left out. He didn't want to know this. He didn't ask for this. He just wanted to go back home and sit on the couch with Ishizu drinking hot tea. He wished he had never gone to Jounouchi's birthday party in the first place so he wouldn't be here now. But he knew, whether he had gone to that party or not, this would have caught up with him and he would still be exactly where he was now.

Curled up in a ball in the Shadow Realm looking pathetic and weak.

He was never like this before The Shadow Game.

He had a strange feeling in his head, like it was filled with helium. He felt dizzy and his vision started to fade to black around the edges—this was the exact feeling he got right before he saw one of those stupid visions.

_He couldn't see anything, he was surrounded by blackness. He began to panic. Where was he? What was going on? But then he realized that his eyes were just closed. They were actually sealed shut and he couldn't open them even if he tried. This was an even more terrifying thought. What happened? Why was he here? All he remembered was running away from the fire and then nothing but endless pain. _

_He felt this strange feeling in his chest—the feeling he got when he thought of what it would be like if he was the slave master—right before everything turned to black. Then he realized that he couldn't open his eyes and now he was here, wondering what was going on. _

_What was he lying on? It was cold and solid. It was like the fields during the winter but much more flat and smooth. _

_Then he heard voices, but for the life of him, he could not place them with a face. But one of the voices sounded painfully familiar and he could not remember for some reason. Now he was even more scared than he was already. _

"_Please! Don't take him!"_

"_The blackness in his heart created a seal with us, nothing can change that. We always get what we want."_

_He cringed when he heard this voice—it reminded him of rusty nails grinding against rock. _

"_Then…take me instead!"_

_There was a long pause, and then, "You are still alive. You would sacrifice your own life to the Shadows forever for this boy who is already dead? You realize this will not bring him back to life?"_

"…_Yes, I do know that. But I would rather my soul be taken into the darkness than his. I will take his place. So please…make me a Shadow Man and spare Nahum."_

Malik felt like he was being yanked from a pool, breaking the surface of the water and breathing in the fresh air. The sensation he always felt after a vision.

He felt short of breath; like he had just run a mile. He heard that conversation repeat in his head; he didn't want to believe everything that he had just heard, but he could not find it inside of himself to try and convince himself it was all a lie.

So that is what Marik wanted to tell him.

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi stepped out of the revolving door and was brought back outside to the park. He was happy to see that all of his friends were there waiting for him.

Then he was suddenly embraced tightly by Ryou. "Where have you been?"

Yuugi wandered why the boy was so worried; all of his friends almost looked indifferent because they were practically used to it. Yuugi disappearing and then coming back with this almost vacant look in his eyes was normal. But then Yuugi realized that Ryou wasn't used to that. He hadn't finished the first Game and he wasn't even apart of the second Game.

Yuugi gave Ryou a reassuring squeeze back and then lightly pushed the boy away and back into Bakura's arms. "I'm fine, Ryou." He gave a boy a smile for good measure.

"Did you…?" Mai asked, trailing off; she didn't need to finish the question for everyone to know what she was talking about. Yuugi nodded without another word; Mai looked solemn.

Bakura kissed the top of Ryou's head. "We filled him in on everything that has happened while you were gone."

Ryou nodded. "Yeah, so no more taking little unexpected detours and disappearing."

Yuugi had wanted to stop taking those "detours" a long time ago, but Yami obviously had different plans than Yuugi's. "I'll try my best."

Yuugi couldn't stop thinking about what Yami said back there.

_"You want to see what I really am? I'll show you, Yuugi. And I'll enjoy proving to you that I am evil."_

Yami had something nasty planned, but he was ready for it. Besides, what could be worse that what he has already done? Yuugi has a list of all the crap Yami put him through. Made him go through hellish nightmares, attacked him with giant bugs, stalked him, almost killing a few of his friends on more than one occasion—excluding Ryou. Really, Yuugi was practically reading for anything at this point.

He would love to see Yami top all that. He really hoped that Yami wasn't tapping into his thoughts and taking this as a direct challenge, he knew how Yami responded to challenges.

"So where do we go next?" Anzu asked, snapping Yuugi out of his thoughts.

"Nothing looks like its lit up," Seto observed.

There were a few moments of silence as everyone tried to contemplate their next move, then Ryou's face brightening up with a smile. "I know!" He squirmed out of Bakura's arms and began to shimmy up the nearest lamp-post.

Everyone reached out for Ryou at once as he began to climb. He looked down at his friends who were looking at him with worry and fright. "What's the matter? I'm not glass, you know." He stuck out his tongue and began to look out across the park.

"Just, _please_, be careful," Bakura begged, positioned directly under Ryou if he may fall.

Ryou rolled his eyes and his eyes widened as he spotted something. "Hey! I see something that is lit up near the back!" He squinted to hopefully make out a few details. "I can see a big waterwheel and…some boats shaped like swans?"

"That's the Tunnel of Love," Yuugi said.

Ryou looked confused. "Isn't that more of an American ride?" he asked. He shrugged and suddenly let go of the pole. He knew that Bakura would catch him and he was right. It was much faster than sliding down the post and much more fun.

Yuugi had a bad feeling about going into the Tunnel of Love. Not because of how ironic it was but he remembered that ride as a kid. The tunnel was dark with only a few dimly lit red and pink lights. After his conversation with Yami, he didn't feel safe going there. But what other choice did they have?

They were skirting the lake when they saw a shape among the trees.

"Hey, what's that that?" Honda suddenly asked, pointing his flashlight in the direction where he saw the thing move.

Yuugi quickly turned and caught a glimpse of reddish skin, almost like tanned leather.

"I saw it too," Seto said, also pointing his flashlight where the thing once was. "It had a head so it can't be Soren."

Ryou looked confused; he turned to Bakura. "Who?"

Bakura shook his head. "Long story, tell you later."

"Forget it, just keep your eye out for more of them," Mai said. They kept their back to the water and looking out at the trees, clustered into a tight group to keep close.

'Damn it, I should have asked Yami what those things are,' Yuugi internally chastised himself.

"What do you think those things are?" Anzu asked. "Better yet, why are they running loose?"

"Other people the Shadow Men may have caught?" Seto guessed.

"Pets?" Honda said in a half-joking manner.

Yuugi didn't really care what it was, but he felt a repulsion for it. It was kind of like those things were bugs or spiders; they were so small and could show up at any time and anywhere.

Ryou had not joined in on their little guessing game. He was just staying close to Bakura and looking at everything they passed with a sort of strange fascination; he was like a curious child. But then again, Yuugi couldn't blame him. Who knew what it was like in the Shadow Realm for him? Ryou was probably just getting used to his surroundings.

That was when Yuugi really looked around their group of friends that was slowly gaining the number they started with during The Shadow Game. They sure were an interesting bunch.

There was Ryou in his bright white clothing with Bakura's camouflage jacket on his shoulders to help keep him warm. Bakura had on a light, black jacket that stood out against his shocking white hair. Seto was just abnormally tall and had these insane coats. Anzu with her arm in a makeshift sling from Honda's jacket and Honda with only a long sleeved shirt on.

Then there was Mai with her pickaxe in one hand and her flashlight in the other.

There still wasn't something completely right about Mai. She was too quiet. Mai craved adventure, she loved this stuff; she should be more excited. Yuugi remembered when Mai was taking the Oath of the Game for the Shadow Game and she had promised to beat the Shadow Men's asses. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Mai usually told him everything; now he just felt like there was a brick wall between him and her.

Pink and red and yellow lights shone on the waterwheel in the front of the Tunnel of Love. There was a rustic old mill behind it and there was a sign in front of the tunnel.

At the normal park, it would just read: TUNNEL OF LOVE.

But here at the Shadow Park, the sign read: TUNNEL OF LOVE AND D—

The last of the word was obscured by a cluster of ivy.

"Isn't that conveniently placed?" Seto commented. "How many want to bet that its 'death'?"

"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me," Bakura said.

There was a swan boat already waiting for them at the loading dock. Its wings arched gracefully by its side, its neck making the supple curve of half a heart. Beads of water glistened on the shiny plastic.

'So help me, if that heads turns around, I swear…' Yuugi thought.

"Come on, people," Mai said, starting to help her friends into the boat. Yuugi took Mai's hand as he stepped into the boat; it rocked slightly when he stepped in.

Ryou was sitting between Bakura and Yuugi in the middle seat. Mai was up front with Seto, and Anzu and Honda were sitting in the back. As soon as they were all in, the boat began to drift across the water peacefully, entering the—suddenly, very intimidating—tunnel.

It was dark and dank, with a very musty smell. The most unsettling part about it was that it was so quiet. The silence in the tunnel was almost deafening; without the sound of chatter or laughter, the water sloshing was amplified ten-fold.

It was all so very unexciting.

"Where is everything?" Honda whispered; everyone could still hear him loudly and clearly. "You know, those scenes and everything from this afternoon."

Everyone gave silent shrugs. This afternoon there were silly scenes that portrayed classic love stories. There were scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Julius Caesar with his Cleopatra. Now there were just blank walls. The swan was leading them into darkness.

Then, as if this situation could not get bad enough, their flashlights started to dim. The strong, white beam of light was fading to a soft orange glow.

Mai started to beat her flashlight against the palm of her hand, as if that would make it start working again. "Fuck," she said silently, hitting her hand against the swan's neck; Anzu jumped in surprise. "We should have kept one on to save the batteries. I thought of that earlier and I forgot! I am so stupid," Mai muttered to herself in frustration.

"Mai, it isn't—" Yuugi began, but then Honda said,

"There is goes." The light from the back seat went out.

Yuugi and Bakura's flashlights followed soon after that, then Mai's—they were completely in the dark now. They had nothing; no guidance, no light. Yuugi was personally sick of being in the dark; he just knew that Yami was laughing at him right now.

"Is it me or does it feel like we're slowing down?" Anzu asked in a timid voice from the darkness.

Everyone heard a quiet splashing. "We're not moving," Mai's voice spoke strongly.

Yuugi sighed. "Mai, get your hand out of the water."

Mai mumbled like a child being sent to his or her room, but Yuugi heard the dripping of Mai removing her hand from the water.

"I don't like this," Ryou said, holding on to Bakura.

"So we're basically…stranded," Seto said. Bakura would have hit Seto if he could see where he was.

Yuugi began to feel uncomfortable. They were sitting ducks—no pun intended. They had no light and they weren't moving. They couldn't see what was coming at them from what direction.

"Whatever you do, _please_, no one imagine anything," Anzu begged.

"Trying," Yuugi murmured quietly. The harder Yuugi tried _not_ to imagine what Yami or the other Shadow Men could do to them just made the images come to his mind faster. He just hoped that the eyes didn't appear.

Then there was light.

It was brighter than any of their flashlights were and everyone squinted their eyes at the unexpectedness of it.

Standing before them, bathed in the spotlight of the floodlights outside was Yami.

He had on his usual black ensemble. Black, black, black, always _black. _He had on a long black shirt and over it a black vest. He had on black jeans and black combat boots on his feet. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his hip cocked; his usual confident stance.

He looked like the kind of boy one would see hanging out around the bad parts of town up to no good. Or standing by parked cars at gas stations smoking a cigarette.

"So…it all comes down to this?" It was more of a statement than an actual question; he gestured to the tunnel around them.

To Yuugi's surprise, Ryou did not look as scared as he thought he would around Yami.

Yuugi was jealous; he felt so vulnerable right now. Yami was standing on the place where one of the dioramas should have been, but Yuugi felt that the seven of them in the flimsy little boat were the real spectacle.

"You were wrong about the sign on this ride," Yami said to Seto as if he was discussing the weather; Seto scowled at him. "It's not the Tunnel of Love and _Death_. It is the Tunnel of Love and _Despair_."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean to us?" Seto asked, completely outraged. All he wanted to do was just about of that stupid boat and demand the Shadow Man to give him back Jounouchi.

Yami shrugged and gave a lazy smile. "Just thought I'd let you know." He flipped something in the air and caught it. Yuugi saw the thing catch the light and gleam when it was tossed up; his eyes widened.

Yami obviously noticed Yuugi's expression; he smirked. "What, this?" Yami held the small object between his thumb and forefinger, showing them a bow stamped on its side. "Yes, this is a coin. In fact," Yami said, rubbing his chin in thought. "You only need one more of these little guys, don't you?"

Everyone in the boat exchanged wary glances, all of them sitting on the edge of their seats.

Yami smiled at their reaction. "Do you want to know what you have to do to get it?" No one answered and it didn't look like Yami expected them to. "You just have to listen," he said in a way too friendly tone that did not fit the grin spreading across his face. "We'll have a little talk. A chat between buddies."

Now he was just mocking them.

"About what?" Yuugi asked.

Yami shrugged and nonchalantly flipped the coin between his fingers. "Oh, you know, this and that. The weather, nuclear disarmament, . . ." Yami looked up at them and smiled at them. "You."

"Us?" Honda questioned, like he hadn't heard Yami correctly.

Yami shrugged again, chuckling. "Why not? I mean, look at you all," he said, gesturing to them all sitting there. "You are all such a pathetic looking bunch." He laughed again. "And _you_ _all_ are planning to storm the Shadow Realm?"

"We're working on it," Mai said sarcastically.

Yami scowled. "You never learn, do you?"

Mai began to rise, but Yuugi grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Yuugi couldn't believe this Yami that was standing in front of him right now. This all seemed so fake. It was like he was watching a play that had been practiced and rehearsed but the actor never got into the character. This was not the real Yami; this was all a pathetic guise to fool—not Yuugi—but himself that he was evil.

Yuugi gave Yami a warning look. "Please, don't."

Yami either didn't hear Yuugi or decided to ignore the boy. "Maybe it's because you're just too stupid to learn. Have you told your family yet that you dropped out of college a month ago?"

Yuugi was shocked to say the least; he had no idea that Mai had dropped out. What all was she keeping from him? "Mai, it's okay, no one will judge you for that," he whispered quietly to his cousin.

Yami barked out a laugh. "No one will judge her? The only reason her own mother is proud of her is because she decided to go to college; you know that you have disappointed her."

"Mai, you know that isn't true…"

"She knows that she doesn't know anything. All she has ever known is fashion and what will that get her in life?"

"Leave her alone!" Yuugi snapped at Yami.

Yami ignored Yuugi's outburst. "And have you noticed she is nothing without her confidence?"

"Shut up!" Mai shouted, her voice reverberating off the walls of the tunnel. Yuugi heard desperation in Mai's voice, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. It sounded like she was saying something like, "You know why, you know why I dropped out." But it was too soft for Yuugi to be sure.

"Despair," Yuugi whispered quietly to Mai. "He wants you in despair, Mai. He wants you like this. He wants you to give up and stop fighting, but I know you're stronger than that, Mai."

"She should give up," Yami said matter-of-factly. "She's all talk. All she wants is attention to fill the emptiness and loneliness that is always in your heart. Isn't that right, Mai? You have always been alone."

"Mai, you are you're only master," Yuugi prompted quietly, nudging his cousin. "You said it yourself. He has no control over you. What he says doesn't matter. You are you're only master."

Mai nodded and said in a strong, confident voice, "I am my only master."

Yami scoffed. "Gets her philosophy from a kung fu movie she watched when she was just a little girl."

"I am my only master!" Mai said more fiercely.

Yami scoffed. "Please…"

"She's smart too," a voice spoke up from the back of the boat; everyone's head turned and saw Anzu rising. "And brave. She has always been the one that has protected us. She has done things so we wouldn't have to and then possibly get hurt. She puts us before herself."

"Its not like college and books are everything," Seto said.

Yami narrowed his eyes at him. "I thought they were to you."

Seto met Yami's stare. "What?"

Yami shook his head. "Come on, all of your life, you adoptive father has pushed you to the point of exhaustion. He wanted you to be perfect. He made you work every hour of every day until you were a lifeless robot that could only think of statistics and proven facts. Maybe that is why Jounouchi never loved you."

Seto suddenly got up in a rage. "That is a lie!"

"What? Are you going to deny everything that I said about your step-father? You know that it's all true. How do you know what I say about Jounouchi isn't true?" Yami asked.

"Hey!" Honda barked out. "I know that it is a lie because Jounouchi has told me what he feels for Seto. He loves him! I know he is telling the truth because he is my best friend, so back off!"

Yami sighed. "Don't even get me started on you with your love life?"

Honda paled. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, you have been seeing Otogi in secret for, what? The last year? But your father told you growing up that gays are wrong and you were ashamed of feeling that way towards another man. You started chasing after Anzu so you could hopefully change your feelings, but you still love men, don't you? And you know you are a disappointment to your father."

"Stop it!" Anzu cried. "I don't care whether Honda likes men or not. I have always known that he doesn't really love me! But that doesn't matter! He is one of my closest friends whether he is straight or gay or bi or whatever!"

"What about you, Anzu?" Yami asked. "Aren't you afraid that no one will ever love you? You have always been friends with boys and when you were growing up, you dressed and acted like a boy. Now, no guy will take you seriously. You will always be 'one of the guys' to them."

"Hey! Plenty of guys like her, you jackass," Ryou said in a quiet but firm voice.

Yami sighed tiredly and gestured to Ryou in Bakura's arms. "Do I even have to talk about you two?"

Yuugi fumed. He stood up and stared right into Yami's eyes, not backing down. "Oh, no you don't. If you have anything to say, say it to me." He jerked his thumb towards his chest.

Then Yuugi surprised everyone. He stepped out of the boat and sloshed through the water. He climbed up to the diorama and stood in front of a very shocked Yami who was scrambling to get recomposed.

"Say it to me, if you have the guts. Come on, Yami, lets get personal."

-/-

**Ranko: I LOVED this chapter! I just loved the beginning part and I loved Yami being a jackass towards the beginning of the Tunnel of Love and Despair scene. **

**Yami: Oh my goodness (shakes his head)**

**Yuugi: I am actually really excited about what is going to happen next chapter. Am I going to tell Yami off or what?**

**Yami: Why are you guys ganging up on me?**

**Ranko: Whatever. Anyway, I liked the idea of having questions for you guys to answer in reviews, but that is no fun really; it's not personal enough for me. But I still want LONGER reviews and more feedback ^^ Please and thank you. If you feel like it, you can tell me what your favorite part and least favorite part were. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Ranko: Something surprised me in the reviews this time. A lot of you guys thought that Yami was going to blab about Mai's curse. **

**Yami: I'm not that mean…am I?**

**Yuugi: That's debatable. **

**Yami: Thanks, love you too. **

**Ranko: Anyway, I think that Yami didn't tell about Mai because it was like he was drawing it out and mocking Mai. By not saying it, it just made Mai think about it and remind her of her fate. Does that make sense? **

**Yami: Sure, why not?**

**Ranko: Why do Yuugi and I love you so much?**

**Yami: How the hell should I know?**

**Yuugi: Why don't you answer reviews, Ranko?**

**Ranko: Okay…**

**KuroNekoFangirl:**** I know! While I was writing that, I was fangirling in my seat! Yeah, you can use that. Thank you so much; this was probably one of my favorite chapters too. **

**TheWingedSunDragonofRal13402:**** I have to answer this review just so I can say: I LOVE YOU TOO! =3**

**hikari no senshi17:**** I'll tell him for you! Yes! All bow before your almighty queen! Really, just giving me this kind of power was not smart. Yet, I can still be ordered around…but that's okay because I love you all! I hope that I updated quick enough for you (I'm lazy). Someone actually asked if Otogi will ever get Honda in both of my stories and that gave me that idea from the last chapter. There might be fluff at the end of the story…or angst, all depends on my mood ;) I'm am the queen!**

**Cascade00:**** After I read your review I went to watch Gabriel Iglesias; Hot & Fluffy on Netflix. Six levels of fatness: big, healthy, husky, fluffy, DAMN!, and OH HELL NO! Sorry, I get off track easily. I actually stole the Tunnel of Love and Despair from L.J. Smith. I have come up with a lot of original ideas for this story but I had to use that one. Yay! I love answering questions! Um, I don't think Seth will be in the story but he can make a cameo if you like?**

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** I've been waiting to answer your review ;) That's because I love answering questions. Akefia was sacrificed to the Shadow Men (as seen in chapter 10). How Yami became a Shadow Man is not revealed yet. Yami is trying to be evil because that is all he knows, really. The father of all Shadow Men (appearance in What's in a Name?) has told him that he is not supposed to like the light and that he is darkness; so that is all Yami really knows, I guess X3 Yami, Akefia, and Marik are ABOUT the same age as Shadow Men. The reason they follow Yami though is because…well, they feel they have too. He's different than all the Shadow Men. They do not know Yami's past life, just as Yami does not know what their past life was. PM me if you want more details! ;)**

**IlluminatedWord:**** You make me feel so special X3 I hope that you like this chapter. **

**SincereJoyy:**** You got me all excited, I thought that we were really going to go after Yami! Oh well, I am not sure what the island will look like yet; I'll figure that out when I get there ;) Yes, yes, chaseshipping in this story, I know. I was inspired by a review that asked if Otogi would ever get Honda. Akefia is a Shadow Man, just to clear that up. Um, about Mai and Yuugi, you see…no spoilers. Thank you for the awesome and LONG review!**

**SincerelyChristina:**** Alright, I'll see if I have time to watch it ;) I love Malik so much, I hate torturing him like this…okay, that's a lie :) I torture everyone that I love, like Ryou (my dear sweet Ryou) and Yuugi. I know what you mean, Bakura reminds me very much of my friend's fiancé XD He is so protective. I loved it when you said, "Hit him Bakura-hit him!" I just kept laughing! I always want to hit Yami. I think that Mai is going to drag this out as long as possible…or just leave without a trace, we'll see ;) **

**Zeladious:**** Well, thank you (super special awesome?) but I do not like your attitude, missy! Well, as long as you're happy about it, I guess; but I don't like it! :( Oh, by the way, what life? I'm sitting here, writing fanfiction for goodness's sake! :)**

**Great:**** I don't know why Ryou is so calm, while I was writing him he just turned out that way; these characters have a mind of their own, you know? **

**Ranko: I answered a lot of reviews but I still feel bad for the reviews I didn't answer! I apologize to all the people whose reviews I didn't answer. I do not appreciate you less! You know who you are, but I love you (yes, you, right there). So have a cookie!**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Game series, both belong to their respected creators. **

**Yami: Yeah, and Ranko is making no money off of this; she's broke!**

**Ranko: Thank you for reminding me, Yami. Anyway, enjoy!**

-/-

Yuugi poked Yami's chest. "All of this," he said, gesturing to the dark, dimly lit tunnel around them. "_All of it_ is for me, right? _I'm_ the one all this is for. So don't bring my friends into this. All this time, the fight has just been between you and me, yet you have always brought my friends into this. Well I've had enough. Talk to me, Yami, let's get personal."

Yami blinked as he absorbed all of this in, then he narrowed his eyes and straightened his back, trying to appear intimidating. "No, Yuugi, let's get _general_. You want to talk about life?" he spit out.

Yuugi bit his bottom lip to keep from shouting; there was a slight triumph in Yami's tone, as if he had already won.

Then Yami surprised Yuugi by saying, "Did you know that in the Congo there is a kind of fly that lays its eggs in human flesh? Little white worms then develop and live inside you forever. Sometimes, the worms surface and you can watch them crawl under your skin. Some even crawl into your eyeball, I've heard it's quite painful."

Behind him, Yuugi heard Anzu shriek in disgust.

"What's is your point?" Yuugi asked, beginning to lose his temper. "Are you implying that we are no better than worms?"

Yami scoffed. "Please, Yuugi, give your species credit. Humans are much more…inventive. Mustard gas, for instance? It touches you and your skin comes peeling off. It happened to many soldiers during World War I. You want to know the sick part? Some man invented that for the _benefit_ of his brothers. Yet it caused so many other men pain and agony; all for the benefit of just a few people."

Yuugi curled his fingers into fists and shook his head. "Don't say anymore."

"That is how humans have always been Yuugi," Yami said, in an almost sympathetic tone. Almost. "That is how it has always been throughout history; humans never change. First cannibalism; ripping peoples' hearts out, still beating I might add. Where are we now? _Drive-by shootings_. Face it, Yuugi; people never change."

Yuugi took in a deep breath through the nose and sighed it out. "Okay…"

"Now do you see? Nature is cruel and ruthless. It spares no one."

"Okay…"

Yami tried to mask his shock at Yuugi's response. "_And_ life is fragile and bewildering. And death—death is _inevitable and worse than anything you can imagine_." Yami said that last sentence rather loudly, as if he was making a point; he looked past Yuugi to the swan boat that was still floating peacefully in the dirty water.

"Who cares?" Yuugi heard Mai call.

Yami narrowed his eyes; he smirked and shook his head. "You amuse me, Mai; don't even try to fool me."

Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion; he looked over his shoulder at Mai who had turned pale as a ghost. "What? What is he talking about?"

Yami took Yuugi's shoulder and forced him to look back at him. "Never mind that; what matters is that _you_ care, Yuugi. You care if it's a cruel and pointless universe. You care if you are surrounded by evil; you are pure light, Yuugi, you cannot handle the darkness."

Yuugi shrugged Yami's hand off of his shoulder.

"So why not despair? Why not despair over this miserable world you are living in? There is nothing wrong with that. Things will be so much easier once you've given up. Just give up already, Yuugi. Aren't you tired of playing this game?" Yami's voice was hypnotizing but Yuugi would not be drawn into it.

There was a time that Yuugi denied Yami's touch. The thought of Yami's hand on his cheek made his skin crawl; but at the same time he knew he couldn't resist it. Now, he did not shudder in disgust when Yami touched him or held him, but now he did know he had the power to resist.

_I am my only master._

Yuugi took a step back when he saw Yami's hand rise to caress his cheek. Yami could not hold back his surprise when he saw that Yuugi _actually_ denied him.

Yuugi's eyes were hard as he stared into Yami's jewel like eyes. "Are you done now? Because I believe you! I get it, so just stop! You wanted to prove how much evil there is, well, you've won; I believe you! I don't know all the answers. I don't even know the freakin' questions. But let me tell you something,_ Yami_, not everything is evil." Yuugi took a confident step forward and Yami took a step back. "I can't explain the evil that is out there, but that doesn't mean I have to join it! It doesn't mean I should ever give in. I told you from the beginning I wouldn't give into you."

_"I never lose."_

_Yuugi had to resist the urge to snort. He was the King of Games, he never lost a game of any kind, this one was no exception. "I've got some bad news for you," Yuugi said with an edge to his voice. Yami raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Neither do I. I will never give into you. I'll die first."_

The confidence in Yami's eyes slowly drained; his winning smirk was gone. Something cold and ugly took its place on Yami's face. Yuugi didn't flinch; he went on before Yami could make his next move. "You said that I was light and I couldn't handle the darkness in this world. You said that I care about whether it was a cruel and pointless universe, and I do." Yuugi's voice softened and he said, unexpectedly, "But I also care about you, Yami."

There was a collective gasp from behind Yuugi; he had finally said it.

Yami's eyes widened.

Yuugi continued to hold his eyes and move forward, smiling gently at Yami. "You wanted to show me how it was alright to be evil, because everything else is that way. But I'm not buying it. You wanted to prove how bad you are, Yami; that you are the villain. I'm not buying that either. You are trying to convince yourself that you are evil and I know that you aren't the bad guy in this story; you are just like a scared little boy."

Yami shook his head, taking steps back as Yuugi took steps forward.

"I care about you, Yami."

_But Yuugi was stuck on one thing. 'Who do I love?' he thought. That was a secret he didn't even know._

"Yami, I—"

He disappeared before Yuugi could finish his sentence.

The gold coin fell spinning to the ground.

Yuugi bent over and picked it up. He held it in the palm of his hand, feeling the coolness against his skin. He looked solemnly at the spot Yami was once standing in front of him; Yami could never hold a good conversation. He sighed and looked back towards the boat; what he found was all of his friends looking back at him. Nobody seemed to know what to say; Yuugi registered the expressions of shock on their faces.

Yuugi didn't know how to explain it to them. There was this nagging voice in the back of his head telling him his friends wouldn't understand these complicated feelings Yuugi had towards Yami. He looked back down at the gold coin in his hands. They had never experienced all the sides of Yami Yuugi had. There was so much Yuugi had gone through with Yami; when did his opinion on the Shadow Man change?

It gave him a head rush.

Thankfully, Bakura broke the silence and snapped Yuugi out of his confusing thoughts. "You know, I think that we just won the Game." Ryou looked up and Bakura and nodded his head.

"You know," Mai said wryly. "I think that we should get out of here on foot." She jumped over the side of the boat and made a splash in the murky water; she began to help others out of the boat. "My guess is this thing isn't going to start moving again."

Yuugi nodded silently; he was still absorbed in his thoughts. He wanted to ask what Yami meant earlier but he knew that Mai would not answer him straight, and after what just happened, Yuugi did not want to get into a verbal battle with her.

So nobody talked as they sloshed through the water. They all held hands, like they did as they walked through the wall of fire. Mai was bringing up the front. Bakura was at the very back, Yuugi in front of him and Ryou in front of Yuugi. Seto was on the other side of Ryou and Anzu was on the other side of Seto, leaving Honda directly behind Mai.

No one really seemed to have the energy to talk after Yami's last and most terrifying attack; he hit them where it hurt and it revealed their deepest fears and deepest secrets to the people they hold dear. But that had made them stronger as well. In the end, after all that was let out into the open, their bond was stronger; there was nothing between them now.

It was a relief whenever Yuugi could see Mai's form silhouetted against a lighter blackness and to breath in the fresh air. They were at the end of the tunnel. Yuugi saw where his thoughts were going and he didn't want to sound cliché. They were at the end of the dark tunnel…and they could see the dock.

"What the hell is this?" Honda shouted in surprise. "Can you please explain this to me?"

When they all got out of the tunnel they saw why Honda was in such a state of shock.

The park was awake.

All the lights that were off had been turned on and all the rides were going. The fairy lights flickered different colors in the trees. The fountain water glowed different colors and hues under them.

Everything was going, just as it had been in the daytime, all at once. Yuugi would have thought that it was all a dream—it looked exactly how an amusement park looked at night, completely magical. Except, it was still deserted and everything was being operated by themselves.

'Beautiful,' Yuugi thought; but it was still unnerving.

Then, off in the distance, Yuugi saw the amphitheater lights on the central island of the lake, glowing brightly.

"Now we find the bridge?" Honda guessed.

Mia unzipped her jacket pocket and pulled out two gold coins; she handed them to Yuugi and the boy tested the weight of all three coins in the palm of his hand. It felt good; it was very satisfying. He closed his hand around the coins, hearing them make a soft clinking sound.

"There's something we have to do first," Yuugi said solemnly. He began to walk further into the park. He looked over his shoulder and smiled softly. "Follow me."

_Elsewhere ~_

Yami was on his knees, his face in his hands. He was shaking but he wasn't crying. He didn't understand; he didn't understand what to feel and he didn't know what the truth was anymore. He was always so sure he knew what he wanted; he was always so sure he knew who he was.

Yuugi's tender and loving eyes flashed back in his mind.

"_I care about you, Yami."_

He clenched his eyes closed tighter, biting his bottom lip until it bled. Now, he just didn't know.

He heard soft footsteps approach him from behind. He didn't have to turn around to know who was standing behind him. "Marik, Akefia…" Yami said softly, dare he say, pathetically. "Who am I? I…I don't know anymore. I don't know who I was before I was this creature I am now. I don't even know my real name!"

Marik and Akefia exchanged sad looks. Yami, their leader, was falling apart. They had decided to follow Yami because he was different than the other Shadow Men. Yami broke the rules, he was curious, he was adventurous, and he was unbelievably kind to be a Shadow Man. But then again, they were all so different than normal Shadow Men.

Akefia shouldn't be able to feel compassion towards Ryou the way he did, and Marik shouldn't still be able to feel love towards Malik—Nahum's reincarnation. They were all outcasts in the Shadow Realm. They were young and considered naïve. Yami was the only one that actually gave a damn about the two of them.

It broke their hearts to see their leader looking this…defeated.

Yami shook his head. "I…I just don't know!"

_The slave boy that looked so much like him smiled at him, sympathy in his dark-hued amethyst eyes. "You pretend to be strong, but really you are just like a little boy."_

_He felt his face growing hot. "Sh-shut up!" he said, wiping away the fat tears that were rolling down his cheeks. _

_The slave boy shook his head and grabbed an clean rag from his pocket, using it to dry the prince's eyes. "It's okay, you're human. You are allowed to show weakness."_

"_I can't do that!" he cried in outrage, swatting the boy's hand away. "I will be the future Pharaoh one day! I am not aloud to have any weaknesses."_

_The slave boy sighed tiredly. "Even if you are the future Pharaoh and considered a god, that doesn't mean you cannot feel human emotions. It is okay to be confused, or angry, or upset." The slave boy smiled at him again, his eyes lighting up. "If you ever need to break down, just come to me! I will always be there for you. So, its okay to be confused."_

"I wish I knew what all of this meant," Yami said, fisting the area of his shirt that was over his heart.

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi stood in front of the gypsy-fortune telling machine, his vision swimming with unshed tears. "Mother," he said softly.

The gypsy's lower lip opened and closed, her eyes looking side to side and then up and down.

Mai had told him that there was nothing Yuugi could do to save her. Yuugi knew that and he accepted that. He was even more certain now that he was here. There was no way to put her soul back into her body, if she even had her body. There was no way to undo what the Shadow Men had done to her and Yuugi's father.

But Yuugi had an idea. There may be something he could do. And he knew that his mother would rather be dead than like this. The only question was whether it would work or not.

"Mother, I thought of something, something I read in yours and father's journals. It's a way to help you. But I need to know if it will work, and if it's what you want." Yuugi felt himself choking on his own words a few times.

Yuugi knew that his mother couldn't really look him straight in the eye, but he had a feeling that she was listening.

Yuugi swallowed and continued, "I read the notes in your journals, and I now know that runes can do things. They can do things here and change reality. They can…make things happen. You know which one I am talking about, don't you, mother? It is Gebo. Do you understand?"

"What?" Ryou whispered to Bakura softly.

Bakura appeared to be thinking about this for a moment. "Gebo…Mai, which one is…?" He trailed off when he saw how wide Mai's eyes were and how they were brimming with tears.

After a frenzy of motion coming from the gypsy in the box, Yuugi interpreted that as a very positive, and excited, "Yes."

Yuugi felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. "Alright, I love you, momma." Yuugi was happy that this time he had to let his mother go, he had the chance to say "goodbye" and "I love you" one last time.

Yuugi asked for Bakura's pocket knife. He thumbed open the blade and set it against the old fashioned wooden cabinet, just above the glass. Bearing down hard, he carved a diagonal stroke, than he crossed another one over that and made a slanted _X. _

Gebo—the rune of sacrifice.

Yuugi always knew this rune was important, but he never thought it would be used for this.

Yuugi took a deep breath and pinched his left index finger between his middle finger and thumb. He watched the end go purple with blood; resolving himself, he pricked his finger. He squeezed his finger and painted the _X _with his blood.

He took a step back and just stared at the machine. There was a heavy silence between Yuugi and his mother trapped in the box. They were both waiting for something and Yuugi's mother's eyes flicked side to side in anticipation.

For a moment, Yuugi was afraid that he had lost his nerve. That he couldn't do it; he thought he was going to act selfishly and keep his mother trapped in this imprisonment as he went on a fruitless search for another way to set her free. Then his mother's eyes looked straight into his and it was like the word was pulled out of him.

"Gebo," he said.

It happened instantly, as soon as Yuugi choked out the word. It was like bolts of electricity shot through the little doll's body. Every part of the figure that could move was thrashing frantically. It shook so hard that it rattled the box that was trapping it.

Then it was over; it had happened so quickly. The figure sagged lifelessly. Its arms fell to its side and its little mouth hung open. Yuugi thought that it reminded him of a marionette puppet whose strings had been cut.

Yuugi, holding his breath, looks at the figure's face.

The doll's eyes were dull; it no longer held a spirit. The eyes were not sad anymore.

This was just a broken doll now.

Yuugi covered his mouth with his hand to keep from sobbing as he stared into the figure's lifeless, spiritless eyes. The suffering was gone as well; the sadness that had broken Yuugi's heart. Yuugi wanted to believe that the perfectly painted on lips had turned upwards in a smile, and the now colorless glass eyes looked at peace.

Yuugi touched his hand against the glass.

"You can be with dad now."

A click made him look down. There was a small piece of paper that was sticking out of the slot. Yuugi took it and held it in his shaking hand. He read it quickly and then let out a broken cry. He began to cry harder than before and sobbed violently. His legs felt weak and he fell to his knees, clutching the little card to his chest.

I LOVE YOU, YUUGI.

He felt Ryou's arms wrap around his shoulders, rocking him back and forth. He never knew Yuugi's mother and he didn't know what the card said but all of that didn't matter. What mattered was that his friend needed him, and he would always be there.

"Hey, Yuugi, Soren's head is moving again," Anzu said softly.

Yuugi looked up and wiped his eyes to clear his vision. He saw Soren's bodiless head shake side to side, and up and down; it looked like he was trying to get their attention.

Yuugi got up on shaking legs, with the help of Ryou and Bakura, and walked over to the glass casing with Soren's head in it.

"Can you hear me?"

The head bobbed.

"Did you see what I did?"

Bob. Bob.

"Do you want me to do it for you too?"

Soren's head moved up and down almost frantically; Ryou hid his face in Bakura's shoulder so he didn't have to see that.

Yuugi felt fresh tears prick the back of his eyes; he swallowed. He carved Gebo over the head and stabbed his middle finger, tracing the pattern with his blood.

He was about to say the word that would invoke the rune…and then Ryou screamed.

Yuugi turned around quickly and froze. Soren's headless body was there, dripping wet, and had his disfigured hands clamped around Ryou's neck, lifting the boy up in the air. Everyone shouted at once and Bakura ran to attack it.

Soren released Ryou with one hand and pushed Bakura aside with the other; Bakura fell to the ground hard. Soren was much stronger than he remembered.

Soren's head was shaking violently in the cabin—as if he didn't want anything to do with the disgusting body that Mai and Bakura had begone to attack; Ryou's face was turning red and he clawed at Soren's slimy hands; his fingernails came away dirty, like he had been running his hands through mud.

"The Shadow Men must be controlling his body!" Honda cried over the shouting. Mai had been slammed into an old machine and it broke under her weight. Honda had pulled Anzu back where they would be more safe.

Seto rushed over to Yuugi when Soren lifted Bakura by his shirt and threw him against the wall; his head banged violently against the wall and he collapsed on the ground in a heap, his eyes were closed.

"Bakura!" Ryou choked out.

"Yuugi, hurry up!" Seto cried, holding Yuugi's shoulders and shaking him.

Yuugi had been in a daze; it was like this whole fight was a dream and he was just waiting to wake up. He looked at Seto with glazed over eyes and then looked over Seto's shoulder. Bakura was passed out on the ground, Mai was fighting that thing alone, and Ryou was being choked to death.

Yuugi finally snapped out of it.

He turned back to the cabinet with Soren's head in it and shouted, "Gebo!"

Soren's jaw dropped open, so open that it looked like it popped out of place, revealing blue teeth and black gums. His eyes rolled back in his head. There was a noise coming from his open mouth, it was sort of like a scream, but it was as deep as a groan.

Soren's body jerked once and then began to spasm, its grip had slackened and it had dropped Ryou to the ground.

The boy gasped for air and then when his vision cleared of the little black dots, he rushed over to Bakura and began to check the man over to see if he was seriously injured anywhere.

Meanwhile, Soren's body began to jerk violently, just like the doll's body had. It was like bolts of electricity were running through the body; its arms were flailing, and finally it collapsed on the floor like a limp doll that had been dropped.

There was a deafening silence for a moment, and then all hell broke loose again.

The arcade began to rumble and quake. All the machines and games were activated at once. Wooden cabinets were practically exploding and glass was breaking all around them.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Honda shouted over the noise, running towards the exit with Anzu in tow; the girl was so shaken up she could barely use her legs. They stepped over Soren's lifeless body.

"Someone help me with Bakura!" Ryou cried in hysterics.

Yuugi and Seto rushed over to the couple. Seto slung Bakura over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and Yuugi helped Ryou walk. Ryou was crying and screaming for Bakura and Yuugi prayed that the man was okay.

Yuugi had a strange sense of déjà vu. It was like he was in Ryou's nightmare all over again. There was chaos all around him as he was frantically trying to reach the exit. Mai was reaching out her hand for him to take. As he stepped out, the building collapsed. Only this time, he had Ryou clinging to his arm; safe and sound.

When they got outside, Seto dropped Bakura on the ground and laid the white haired man on his back. Ryou dropped to his knees and rested Bakura's head on his lap; Ryou's tears rolled down his cheeks and dropped onto Bakura's face.

"Please…please still be alive…don't leave me here. I need you; please…don't leave me."

Honda kneeled down next to Bakura's head. The brunet sighed. "I got this. I'm trained for a situation like this." Honda leaned over Bakura like he was going to give the man CPR, instead…

"Wake up, asshole!"

The reaction was almost immediate; Bakura's eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly and grasped Honda's neck, beginning to shake him. "Call me an asshole one more time! I dare you! Don't you ever scream in my ear again or I'll—!"

"Bakura!" Ryou cried, flinging his arms around the man's neck. "You're alive!"

Bakura dropped Honda when Ryou hugged him; Bakura awkwardly hugged his boyfriend back. "Um, yeah, I am." Ryou's face was buried in Bakura's shoulder, wetting his shirt with his tears. He mouthed to his friends: _I died?_

"I thought I had lost you," Ryou said weakly, hugging Bakura tighter.

Bakura patted Ryou's back. "Are you talking about that little bump on the head I got from being thrown against that wall? That was nothing. You should know by now that I've had worse injuries." Bakura pushed Ryou away so he could look the boy in the eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't leave you now that I've just gotten you back."

Ryou laughed and pecked Bakura on the cheek.

Mai cleared her throat. "I hate to ruin the moment, but I think we should keep moving. I think Yuugi made the Shadow Men mad."

Everyone nodded in agreement, Seto helping Bakura and Ryou to their feet. The Shadow Men were obviously not very pleased after what Yuugi did to their prisoners. They made that clear after they sent Soren's body to kill them and tried to crush them to death in that arcade.

They wondered around the lake until they found the bridge.

"Um, I don't think that was there before," Honda said, pointing to the bridge that started where they were and ended somewhere on the island. It was like a double rainbow; it was just as long and just as steep, as well.

"Maybe it wasn't lit?" Anzu suggested; everyone gave her a look. "What?"

"I think we would have noticed the St. Louis Arch whether it was lit up or not," Seto said, gesturing to the large, glowing bridge that reminded Yuugi of white opal.

"Its going to be just as hard to climb," Bakura muttered.

"Well, we're going to have to do it," Yuugi said, his hands on his hips. He stood in front of all of his friends and gestured to the glowing bridge behind him. "We have to get to Jounouchi and Malik. After what I did to my mom and Soren, they could do something horrible to our friends. They may try to stop us so we're going to have to be quick. We are going to win this Game."

Mai put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, hot shot, let's do this. But where do we put the coins in?"

As if Mai's words made it appear, a neat little tollbooth appeared by the bridge. By it was a barbed wire fence blocking them from traveling across the bridge unless they paid the toll.

Attached to the tollbooth was a coin receiver where there were three spaces for irregular shaped coins. When Yuugi put the coins in, they slipped into place perfectly and neatly. They gleamed in the glow of the bridge.

Yuugi looked back at his friends.

This was a big moment. They had won the Game—the last Game, and they were going to collect their prize. It was such a good feeling; Yuugi felt as if he was drifting across the sky on a cloud.

'Take that, Yami.'

"Does anyone want to push it?" Yuugi asked, gesturing to the still open coin slot.

"Go ahead, Yuugi; you've earned it," Anzu said sweetly.

Yuugi was tempted to say that it wasn't him who did it all; he really had no idea what he would have done during all three of these Games without his friends there to help him, guide him, and support him. He took a deep breath and smiled; he wasn't the only hero in this story, but they already knew that.

Yuugi pushed the tray in and felt it lock in place. The fence dissolved like glitter falling from the sky.

"After you," Yuugi said.

-/-

**Ranko: Oh, Yuugi, you are just the sweetest thing. I feel like I have to go back and read through The Shadow Game when you were still a scared little boy who didn't know what was going on. **

**Yami: I miss that Yuugi. **

**Ranko: Me too. **

**Yuugi: Hey!**

**Ranko: Sorry. But anyway, it is really sad, because my baby is growing up. I feel like I should save this speech for the last chapter when I'll probably be crying. But anyway, if any of you think that this is the second to last chapter or something like that, you are wrong. **

**Yami: Yes, there are actually 16 to 17 chapters in this story. **

**Ranko: Don't remind me. What am I going to do? **

**Yuugi: Ranko, you're forgetting something. **

**Ranko: I am? Oh yeah! But that's a secret! They'll find out at the last chapter. **

**Yuugi: So review…**

**Ranko: WAIT! I have one more thing to say! PLEASE READ THIS! I am doing a 50 word prompt challenge and I am getting the 50 words from you all! So leave in your review a SINGLE WORD that I can use! If you have already sent in a word, you can't send in another. Thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ranko: Hello everyone! I just want to give a big "thank you" to everyone who gave me a word! They were all really creative and different and I know that I am going to have fun with all of them!**

**Yami: Any other announcements?**

**Ranko: Hmm…actually, no. Usually I have something to say during the beginning author's notes. Soooo…how are you? Oh yeah, where's Yuugi?**

**Yami: Not here today. **

**Ranko: Yami! What did you do to him?**

**Yami: Nothing!**

**Ranko: Uh-huh! I'm coming to save you, Yuugi!**

**Yami: No, you can't. You have reviews to answer.**

**Ranko: Damn you, Yami! You win this time!**

**IlluminatedWord:**** Don't worry, no one gave me that word before you ^_^ Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I made you sad! I tend to make people feel that way towards me (worried) it's a gift. Yay! I love sarcasm! I am afraid that I will give you at least a few more heart attacks before this story is done; have fun ;) As much as I want to tell you about Mai, I can't. I'm sorry, dear!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** Yami will find out who he is…hopefully soon -_- I'm getting tired of a clueless Yami; I think I'm going to pick things up a bit. Akefia only feels friendship towards Ryou; what I think is that Akefia once thought he loved Ryou but mistook that feeling and it was really just friendship. Jounouchi and Malik have been in the Shadow Realm this whole time. I didn't really emphasize that much on Jou because he doesn't have a past with the Shadow Men. **

**lilpopsplash:**** First, let me just say that I love you. "When" Yuugi is going to win. Not "if," but "when." Made my day! Yami has always had feelings for Yuugi, since the first Game. He has always been in love with Yuugi. But now that feeling is starting to grow into something much stronger, correct? Yuugi has never been sure how he feels about Yami, right? Their relationship has always been a cat and mouse kind of thing, you know? How this relationship with change? I don't know, will it? Long way around the barn. About Marik and Malik? I'm not sure, I think that Malik is confused and doesn't know what to feel anymore. **

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** I don't think they hate Yuugi, per say, I think they hate how Yami feels about Yuugi; they think that it is bad for Yami to love a mortal boy so much and go to all this trouble. So they will do everything they can to get rid of the problem, aka Yuugi. Why they haven't stepped in as much, I don't know. Ask L.J. Smith, I'm going off of what she wrote. **

**TheWingedSunDragonofRal13402:**** All Shadow Men were once human, except for Father. All existing Shadow Men were turned into what they are by Father at one point. Akefia was a sacrifice, Marik took Malik's/Nahum's place, and Yami has not been revealed yet, though you are close. **

**My name is BK-201:**** I don't know, do you want more? **

**AmerillaRose:**** Yami has always loved Yuugi, ever since the beginning. He is starting to feel confused because he is having these strange visions he has never had before that is making him question everything. Even his feelings for Yuugi, which have always been solid. It depresses me just thinking about it. There is more to be revealed!**

**Cheshirecat23The:**** Any word will do! The more random the better! It can be something as completely strange as…watermelon! Whatever you like! **

**SincerelyChristina:**** I do it all the time! Because the person I am talking to always has to reference back to something I may have said in my previous message and I cannot remember for the life of me! Yep, just call Yami "Mr. Smooth." Wait! Or my personal favorite, "Jackass." Yeah, a lot of people have those mixed feelings about Yami. But trust me, by the end of this story, there will be no hitting Yami because there will be so many FEELS! I've revealed too much, moving on! Yeah, got to love Honda! "My voice gives me super strength!" I know, I'm sad that my baby is almost all grown up. I think I'm going to go reread everything now. Then I'll find all my spelling/grammar mistakes and cry. I think you sent me a word too, but unfortunately, you can't send another. **

**SincereJoyy:**** I'm pretty sure I'll just be bawling about everything by the end of this story; prepare for the feels! No! Please don't leave me! JK ;) I'll see what I can do about some stories ;) Please don't hurt me if I haven't updated it! Wait, I forget, have you read the Forbidden Game series? If you have, I think you'll like my ending better, just saying. **

**Ranko: Thanks for all the awesome reviews, guys! I love them all and I love all of you!**

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

It was Mai who took the lead, as usual and Honda was following behind her, holding Anzu's hand. Ryou was between Bakura and Yuugi, and Seto was holding up the end.

In all honesty, Yuugi wanted the others to go ahead of him so he would be at the very end; mostly because he was afraid and also he didn't want anyone to try and save him if he fell.

Seto must have been a mind-reader because he quickly pushed Yuugi ahead of him when they were beginning to ascend the bridge. Also, Ryou wanted Yuugi behind him so he would feel safer.

Ryou had a fear of heights, Yuugi discovered that when they were thirteen and went on a roller coaster. Ryou nearly had a mental breakdown.

Yuugi didn't really have a problem with heights. He was fine with them, actually. He could have walked across the bridge just fine, if it wasn't for the fact that the bridge was steep and narrow _and_ did not have handrails. He didn't mind that the bridge rose twenty feet up in the air, he just had a problem with how unsafe it was and if they fell they would be landing in what was supposed to be a lake but at this time of night looked like black sludge.

Yuugi looked straight down and concentrated on his feet. He just focused on putting one foot in front of the other as they climbed. Right, left, right left, right…then something drifted past his feet. It was a wisp of mist.

Yuugi's mind was boggled by this. They weren't at cloud-height, but the nature-defying mist was rising around them.

"This is just great," Bakura said bitterly. "I can't see."

Yuugi heard Ryou let out a soft whimper.

"Alright," Yuugi heard Mai sigh out from the front. "Everyone grab hands and stay close. I can feel my way along."

Yuugi reached forward blindly to try and find Ryou. He felt the rough material of Bakura's camouflage jacket and grabbed hold of it. Yuugi could imagine Ryou clinging to Bakura's back like a monkey.

He felt Seto put a firm hand on his shoulder as he shuffled closer to him. With their height difference, Yuugi was just about at Seto's collarbone and that was with his hair up.

They all continued to walk forward, more slowly since they couldn't see anything but white and they did not walk to endanger anyone in front of them by crashing into them and knocking them over the edge.

In a few moments, the mist cleared. By this time, Yuugi didn't care that he could see again, his legs were aching and he hoped that they were getting near the top soon.

It wasn't until Ryou gasped in front of him that Yuugi bothered to look down.

It was…unearthly. It was dark but strangely beautiful. Arching into the darkness were other bridges, delicate and airy, like the one they were on. Some were fiery; those bridges looked like there was fire trapped in the glass like surface. The different bridges led to clumps of land that looked like islands floating in space.

"It's like…Neverland," he heard Anzu say softly.

Bakura snorted. "A whole bunch of Neverlands."

"What the hell is this?" Seto asked, frustrated that he was always so confused in this Realm. "Where are we?" He asked the question to no one in particular but everyone knew who could answer any questions they had.

"I don't believe this," Yuugi said.

"I do," Mai said from the front; she was at the very top of the arch. The glow from the other bridges made her look even more beautiful. It lightened her skin and made her purple eyes sparkle.

Some of the islands were brighter and more…distinct. It reminded Yuugi of a precise painting that was created with a fine attention to detail. An attention to detail that could never be found in real landscapes. Others were dim and vague, almost as if the painter had begone to work on the painting and then abandoned it.

Between these clumps of land, Yuugi saw stars. But these stars were different, it was as if he was staring at the reflection of these stars in a clear stream.

"What are these things? You know, the other islands?" Honda asked.

Mai bit her lip, looking astonished and completely in awe. "These…these are the nine worlds." Yuugi had never seen Mai so happy or completely captivated. To Mai, this was a dream come true. She never thought she would ever see this sight.

Honda sounded puzzled when he said, "Wait, are you saying that we are above the Shadow Realm somehow?"

Mai shrugged. "I guess," she said, a small smile gracing her lips. She pointed at one island that was above them with complete fascination. "That is Asgard, its got to be."

Yuugi tilted his head back. Far above them, farthest away from any of the other islands, was one that looked to be all silver and gold. From the angle which he was viewing the island it was hard to make out some of the details. He thought he saw a large mountain rising into a golden cloud. The bridge to this island was narrow and looked like there was fire trapped in the bridge.

"That's where the gods live," Mai explained.

"Like Thor?" Anzu asked curiously; because she was still looking up at the island in amazement, she didn't notice the look Mai gave her.

"Yeah, like Thor," Mai said, shaking her head. "According to myths, of course. I think that is Vanaheim, world of primal water and plenty, its where some of the less important gods live." Mai pointed to an island that was magnificent and painted in jewel-like colors.

Mai continued to point out different islands, excited as she chatted about them casually, as if she were discussing an interesting book rather than different worlds. She pointed out Alfheim, world of light and air; it was shimmering with the colors of sunrise. Mai said that is where good spirits live, like light elves.

"What about those?" Anzu asked, pointing straight outward. There were two islands that were floating at the same level as the bridge they stood on. One was rocky and looked like it was lashed out with tornadoes. The other was bright orange, like the core of a campfire flame.

"Well, the rocky one is Jotunheim, which is the world of primal storms. The other one is Muspelheim, the world of primal fire; nothing lives there but killer giants," Mai explained.

"Well, there goes my vacation plans," Bakura said, smiling devilishly.

Mai gave the boy a look that clearly told him she was not amused. Bakura continued to smile.

Yuugi quickly cut in before they could get into a shouting match. "What about that one?" he asked, pointing downward.

"Oh, that's Hel," Mai said casually.

"Here I thought hell would be hotter," Seto observed, looking down at the world that looked like a frozen lake, colder and blacker than the empty space between the worlds. In all honesty, it did not look like a fun place to visit. The bridge though was like a slide, broad and frosty

Mai rolled her eyes. "Hel, with one L. It's the underworld, where everything sinks in the end. Its ruled by Hella, queen of the dead."

"Let's try to avoid that one," Ryou said, holding onto Bakura's arm.

Mai nodded in agreement. "And that one, the one that looks like a cave," she said, pointing it out. "That there is Svartalfheim—the subterranean world."

Yuugi shivered; after everything that happened to him in this Game, he was done with caves.

Yuugi saw that there was one island left. It was directly below them, and both ends of the bridge they on seemed connected to it. The surface looked like it was obscured by dark mist and shadows. Yuugi's eyes widened as he continued to stare at it. He had seen something similar to this once; it was horrifying for a child of five to witness and it wasn't much better grown up.

He had seen something like this world below them when he opened the closet in the basement. The landscape was dark and icy, covered in mist and shadows. Now it was right below him.

"It's the Shadow Realm," Yuugi whispered in shock.

Mai heard. "Yep, otherwise known as Niflheim, the land of ice and shadows."

"But Mai, I don't understand," Yuugi said quietly. "Inside…inside the closet, there was landscape just like that. But it wasn't the Shadow Realm…completely, right?"

Mai nodded. "Right; Yuugi, what you saw that day when you opened the closet door was not the Shadow Realm. Think of it like this. When you get a pet fish, you put water in a bowl, but all of the ocean is not in that bowl. Make sense?"

Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of this. "I—I guess so."

"Good," Mai said as she continued to walk forward.

"Hold on, weren't we just in the Shadow Realm?" Honda asked, making Mai stop.

"Yes; that is the strange part about the Shadow Realm, most of it is just an illusion that can be manipulated by the Shadow Men. The Shadow Realm is like a blank canvas and can be turned into any landscape or setting the Shadow Men please. You can think of Niflheim as the capital, where all the power it."

"Wait a second," Ryou called. Mai looked over her shoulder. "I only counted eight worlds. Where's Earth?"

Mai's eyes widened at this as she began to count the worlds again as well. She furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. "Maybe we don't get to see that bridge until we finish the Game?" she guessed.

Yuugi bit his lip; he hoped that was the case, unless Yami had another surprise for them.

"Who cares?" Honda said. "Look, we wanted to walk between the worlds, right? And now we're doing it." He turned to look at Mai who had stopped and was looking back at everyone. "Lead the way, Mai."

She blinked, as if she were coming out of a daze. She turned around and they continued to walk across the bridge.

Yuugi didn't have a problem with heights, but the thought of falling now frightened him. This time, the drop was much longer, endless maybe. It made his insides twist. It was probably going to be a harder time going down than going up as he thought that one wrong step could send him stumbling and falling down and down and down…

"Yuugi, you okay?" Seto asked, cutting of Yuugi's train of thought.

Yuugi bit his lip nervously and nodded. Seto looked unconvinced. He put both of his hands on either one of Yuugi's shoulders and began to guide him forward. "Don't worry, I'm right behind you."

Yuugi wished that those words would calm his nerves, but they didn't. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Seto pondered this for a moment and then answered. "I don't know, the better question is, why did you always try so hard to help me with Jounouchi?"

Yuugi opened his mouth to answer, but Seto continued on.

"Why did you stand up against me in The Shadow Game and help me realize that it wasn't just a game? Why were you there for me after I faced my nightmare? Why did you sacrifice yourself to Yami so we would have the chance to get away? Why did you tell Jounouchi how I felt about him?" Seto asked the stream of questions and it made Yuugi's head spin.

"I'm not following," Yuugi said softly, trying to focus on Seto instead of everything under him. "Are you saying that this is you repaying a favor?"

Seto chuckled. "You can take it however you wish to take it, Yuugi. But let me tell you, this experience with the Games has really changed me. It's changed all of us, and it all because of you, Yuugi."

Yuugi snorted. "I got you all into this mess in the first place."

"Did you?" Seto asked.

Yuugi looked up and over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you bought The Shadow Game, but you didn't want to play it if I remember correctly. It is Jounouchi who wanted to play it originally, and everyone else put it together. You weren't the one to read the Oath and you weren't the one to draw the first card. What I mean Yuugi is that you may have brought it home, but it wasn't completely your fault all of this happened. So stop blaming yourself for everything."

Yuugi's eyes widened. "Seto…"

Seto shook his head. "Like I said, the Games changed all of us. I know that it made me think that life is unexpected and then I realized that I am a complete jackass. It changed me and my way of thinking, and it was for the better, thanks to you, Yuugi. The people you love should be the most important people in your life, for the longest time that was only Mokuba. Now there are so many other people I care for." Seto let out a sigh. "So in answer to your question, Yuugi, the reason I am being so nice to you is because you are important to Jounouchi and Jounouchi is important to me."

"Seto…" Yuugi said again, his eyes watering. "Thank you for saying that." He gave Seto a weak smile.

Then Yuugi made the mistake of looking down and hysteria began to build inside of him. "Oh God…oh my, God; I can't do this."

"Yes you can, just keeping walking forward Yuugi; look straight ahead and continue to talk to me," Seto said in a soft voice. "We're almost there."

"Seto, am I coward?" Yuugi asked shakily; actually, his whole body was shaking like a leaf.

"All of you have faced your own fears, yet I still can't conquer mine," Yuugi whispered, tears trailing down his cheeks as he tried to get his shaking legs to move. All he had to was put one foot in front of the other but for some reason it felt like his legs were completely numb.

Seto nudged him forward slightly. "Yuugi, you are not a coward. We have faced all of our fears in The Shadow Game, but you were always there with us; you were always there to help us through it. You went through some pretty scary stuff in the Game, all for us. Then when you had to face your nightmare, you were alone; you didn't have us. Yet you still conquered it. In the second Game, you were the last one left and you still found the base. You have gone up against Yami alone countless times. You are one of my bravest people I know, Yuugi."

Yuugi clutched his hands close to his chest to try and get them to stop shaking; he clenched his eyes shut.

"And you know what?" Seto asked.

Yuugi shook his head. He then felt solid ground under his feet. "You made it across."

Yuugi let out a sob of relief and he collapsed onto his knees, putting his forehead against the firm, solid, _wonderful_ ground. He felt Mai and Ryou surround him.

"Yuugi, are you okay?" Ryou asked, putting a hand on Yuugi's shoulder.

"Peachy," he said breathlessly, giving a small, shaky smile.

Mai turned towards Seto, who had his arms crossed over his chest and had his stone-faced mask back in place. "What the hell happened back there?" Mai asked.

Seto scoffed. "Nothing, the shrimp just got a little scared and I helped him across. He's still all in one piece, isn't he? You're welcome," he said in a bored manner and walked away before Mai could retaliate.

It was then that Yuugi realized they were across. They made it!

Now he could get his friends; he couldn't wait to see Jounouchi and Malik.

He looked up so fast that he got a head rush.

After the wonderful display of the different and beautiful worlds, where they were now was a bit of a letdown. They were on the central island in the artificial lake at Wonderland Park. There was the amphitheater further back that was lit up with what looked like stadium lights.

Yuugi looked behind him and saw the park with all of its rides and attractions lit up with different techno colors. There was the bridge, connecting the island to the park; the bridge was reflected back on the surface of the water. There was no mist and the top of the arch was no more than forty feet off the ground.

"Maybe it was another one of Yami's hallucinations?" Anzu guessed. "Like Mai said, the Shadow Men have the power to manipulate whatever they want here."

Yuugi thought back to that time of the bridge; the sickening height, the mental images of him falling off the bridge. And then there was the beauty of the stars, and the bridges and the different worlds. Yuugi couldn't be sure whether Anzu was right or wrong, but he would probably never be sure.

He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. "Come on, guys. This is it." Mai and Ryou helped him to his feet and he automatically took the lead. He felt good as he saw the amphitheater getting bigger as they got closer. It felt like he was walking on air. This was it, this was the moment he finally beat Yami, once and for all.

Yuugi's eyes widened as full realization struck him. He realized that all of this time, all of this pain and hardship, it has just been a game. A dangerous game, but still, a childish game. While actually playing, Yuugi didn't have the time to think about that. All this time, he and Yami have been acting just like children playing a silly little game. It made his blood boil and he felt an even greater rush of satisfaction at being able to beat Yami.

He warned him he would win from the very beginning. Now it was finally ending; Yuugi wondered if he was even prepared for it to all be over. He almost couldn't handle the thought. Did this mean that he would never see Yami again? That should be a good thing but the thought of never seeing him again made his chest ache. Right when he was really starting to peel back the layers of Yami.

All of those thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind whenever they reached the amphitheater and saw who was on the stage. Jounouchi and Malik.

Yuugi let out a choked sob and, ignoring his other friends, rushed towards the two. He didn't know that he was crying as he ran towards Jounouchi and Malik. He didn't care about the possible danger or if it might be a trap. He didn't care about the Game or Yami at the moment. His friends were in front of him, and that is all that mattered.

Yuugi realized that this is the first time they had all been together since that time in the foyer in the paper house. Ever since that moment, someone was always missing and it left a gaping hole in the group.

Now they were all together again and it made Yuugi's heart burst with joy.

Yuugi engulfed them both in a hug, crying tears of joy. He didn't notice that they didn't hug back since they were both tied up.

"Hey Yuugi, its good to see you again, buddy," Jounouchi said with a cheeky smile.

"Watch out, Yuugi, Yami was here just a minute ago," Malik said.

Yuugi looked up and took in their features for the first time. He noticed that, despite being prisoners, they were in better shape then they were. Yeah, Jounouchi and Malik looked a little worn down; Malik had dark bags under his eyes and his usually bright violet eyes were dim. Besides that, they looked exactly like they did when they lost them.

"Malik!" Bakura cried as he ran up to the stage and dropped down beside his friend, pulling out his pocket knife.

"Bakura," Malik said, giving a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Bakura put a hand on his friend's shoulder as he cut through the ropes easily.

Yuugi didn't notice that Seto was kneeling beside Jounouchi. "Hey, mutt, you two aren't hurt, right?"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes as Bakura started working on cutting through his ropes. "Oh, Seto, you're words of kindness touch my heart," he said, sarcasm dripping like honey off of every word. "We're _fine_, unlike you all. Yeesh, it looks like you got in a fight with a grizzly and lost."

Jounouchi rubbed his sore wrists after Bakura had cut through the ropes and then Seto was hugging him. Jounouchi blinked in confusion. "I'm just glad that you're safe."

Jounouchi patted Seto's back awkwardly. "Th-thanks, I guess."

Seto released Jou and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, we were in this white place for a really long time and then the Shadow Men put us here," Malik was explaining to Bakura.

"I was so worried about you," Bakura said, hugging Malik tightly.

Ryou stood awkwardly behind Bakura and cleared his throat. Bakura jumped in surprise and released Malik; he looked up and over his shoulder, seeing Ryou. The boy had his arms crossed over his chest and he almost looked hurt.

"What?" Bakura asked.

Ryou shook his head. "Nothing."

"There is nothing to worry about anymore," Yuugi said quickly. "We've won the Game. We went on a treasure hunt and found you guys. It's all over."

"That's great," Jounouchi said with a bright smile. "But can we get out of here? It's creeping me out and then there are the eyes…" Jounouchi shuddered.

Yuugi stiffened. "The eyes?"

Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah, you know, the eyes that watch you from the shadows. And the whispering was weird too."

Yuugi clenched his hands into fists, biting his bottom lip. So the other Shadow Men had been here too. Why couldn't they just leave them alone? This was Yami's Game they had no reason to get involved. They had also tried to kill Yuugi more than once. What did he ever do to them? Alright, bad question.

Malik stood up and gave Yuugi a hug. "Thanks for coming for us Yuugi."

Yuugi hugged him back. "Of course I came for you guys. But I have to ask. What happened back there in the fire? One minute I was holding your hand and the next…"

Malik stepped out of the hug and chuckled. "I tripped and when I got up, I didn't know which way to go, I didn't see any of you."

Yuugi felt a wave of guilt. If only he had stopped when he felt Malik's hand leave his, then maybe none of this would have happened.

"Thankfully Jounouchi was there and we started walking in some random direction. Luckily, we made it back to Yami's base instead of just wondering around there forever," Malik continued, unaware of Yuugi's train of thought.

"So now that the gang is back together again, what's the plan, Yuugi?" Honda asked, smiling cheekily. Yuugi noticed that he seemed more happy and go-lucky after the incident in the Tunnel of Love and Despair. It was almost as if a big weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

Yuugi smiled back. "I don't really have one. But then again, we don't need one, either. We've won and we should just be able to walk out of here." He turned to Mai at this point for guidance and she nodded towards him. Yuugi smiled at her but then it fell when he realized something. "The only thing I don't understand it why Yami or the other Shadow Men haven't shown up."

There was a heavy silence that fell over the group as they exchanged glances and looked around warily.

"Do you think that…maybe—he's watching us?" Ryou asked.

"Of course I'm watching; that's what I do."

-/-

**Ranko: Can someone please remind me who gave me the name Queen of Cliffhangers? Because it is really fitting. **

**Yami: I think you gave it to yourself. **

**Ranko: Oh…bow before your queen!**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin shouldn't have this much power. **

**Ranko: Yuugi, you're back! Where have you been?**

**Yuugi: I was tired and I didn't feel like being in the opening author's note. **

**Ranko: You make me feel sad. **

**Yami: Yeah, did you not want to be with us?**

**Yuugi: What? No! It's just…ugh! I don't understand you two sometimes!**

**Ranko: Guilt, it works every time. **

**Yami: You know it. **

**Ranko: You shouldn't even be talking, you're evil for goodness's sake!**

**Yami: I thought you said you were going to redeem my character!**

**Ranko: I never said that!**

**Yuugi: And this is why I need a break from you two sometimes. Anyway, please review and tell Ranko what you thought of this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ranko: Yay! I'm happy!**

**Yuugi: You're always happy. **

**Ranko: That is partially true. **

**Yami: Why are you happy?**

**Ranko: Well first off, Yuugi is here! One person asked where you were last chapter Yuugi and I was wondering if you could tell us. **

**Yuugi: I was taking a small vacation, you can only take so much of **_**those**_** two. But I love them both none the less. **

**Yami: I love you too, Yuugi!**

**Ranko: Ew! Not in front of me! Do your weird couple stuff later when I'm not in the room. Anyway, the other reason that I am happy is because I got past 200 reviews! Woo! Thanks so much for that you guys. Its means a lot to me. I love all of my reviewers and followers, and people who favorite me!**

**Yuugi: How about answering some of those reviews? **

**Ranko: Okay, but I'm not answering all of them! Like I said, I love you all and I love that I get so much feedback, but that is A LOT of feedback. I'd be dead if I answered every review each chapter.**

**SincerelyChristina:**** I completely understand. That bonding moment between Seto and Yuugi made me go "Aw!" …and I was the one who wrote it! My life is sad. Seto is one of my favorite characters (thanks to YGOTAS) so I kind of have to give him a little credit. **

**lilpopsplash:**** Yeah, I hope that the curse is lifted too. No spoilers though! I have to admit, I have a very short term memory; it is my greatest downfall. Could you be so kind as to remind me how I answered your question without giving away the ending? =3 That has been happening to me a lot recently. Kudos to you for writing that review at 5 in the morning. At that point I can't even form a coherent thought; everything is on autopilot. **

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** I know, right? I am not a big fan of heights; I had to remind myself, "Why am I writing this again?" I feel a little stupid saying this, whenever Anzu said that one line you commented on (about Thor), Anzu was actually portraying me. I have recently seen the Thor movie with Chris Hemsworth, so while I was writing this chapter, I realized for the first time what Asgard was in relation to Thor. So Anzu was portraying my stupidity. Anzu was referencing to the movie, which I figured must have been subtitled or dubbed over in Japanese voices (limited knowledge). **

**Guest/WildWinds(?):**** Thank you for pointing out my mistake; I have yet to fix it but I hope to do it soon. Also, I plan on doing about 16 to 17 chapters. **

**The Akatsuki Rocks:**** Oh my, goodness…that is amazing =D Tell your nephew I think that he is awesome. But I think I would freak out too. "Yami?!" Then I'd fangirl. **

**Great:**** In answer to your question, they are still kind of mad at Yuugi for not giving himself up as payment when he was younger. Also, of course, for catching Yami's eye. And Yuugi has always interfered with the Shadow Realm and their Shadow Men in some way in all three of the stories. He always seems to be in their way if you think about it (what he is in the way of, interpret it as you please). They also don't like Yuugi because they set their prisoners free (who were his mother and Soren). I guess the better question is what Yuugi didn't do ;) But some of these things you can't really pick up and less you really dig, you know? **

**AmerillaRose:**** You don't think there isn't going to be a happy ending? You're different from everyone else; I like different ;) Anyway, there may be hope yet, I still have a few more tricks and surprises up my metaphorical sleeve. **

**IlluminatedWord:**** I guess I should have warned everyone at the beginning of The Shadow Game that this trilogy may cause heart attacks. Anyway, I can promise you, you will not expect the ending that I have planned. So have medics on standby. All the FEELS! There are nine worlds in total according to Norse mythology, Earth is one of them. I loved writing Ryou jealous, I should try that more. I plan on having them appear very soon, so worry not. **

**Cheshirecat23The:**** Thanks for the word, darling! Enjoy the fireworks, I always love them. Ryou getting all jealous was definitely my favorite part too. He is just so cute when he is intimidating. Bakura better be scared though, because Ryou don't mess around. I should write Ryou jealous more often. You will have more of Yami soon, do not worry.**

**Ranko: I just want to say one thing, I love all of my reviewers and followers and such equally. I appreciate how much you have supported me throughout this crazy story. I know that I would not have had the drive to continue this story without all of the love I get from you guys. **

**Yami: Can you get any cheesier?**

**Yuugi: Yami!**

**Yami: Alright, without further delay: Ranko twin owns nothing. **

**Ranko: Enjoy (blows a kiss)!**

-/-

Yuugi gasped and spun around. Standing behind him was Yami; on either one of his sides stood Akefia and Marik, flanking him. They didn't make a sound, they did not move, they did not grin evilly at them; the two just stood there, looking pained, as if they had just seen a loved one pass away.

Malik let out a tiny shriek at seeing Marik and quickly clung to Bakura's arm. Yuugi looked and saw that unshed tears were glistening in his lavender eyes. He also noticed that Ryou was staring right into Akefia's eyes without fear.

Yuugi still remembered finding Ryou, huddled in a corner in the hall of mirrors in the paper house. He was paralyzed with fear because he was so terrified of Akefia, now he was staring the Shadow Man right in the eye with no fear. Yuugi then remembered what Ryou had said in the fun house.

"_Yeah, I made friends with him; he's nice."_

Yuugi turned back to Yami. He expected Yami to look smug and confident with his arms crossed over his chest and his hip cocked to one side. It was so familiar to Yuugi so whenever he saw Yami standing there, looking so weak and tired, it unnerved him.

Yami had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket; his stance was not as tall and strong as Yuugi remembered it being. Yuugi bit his bottom lip as he stepped forward. He expected Akefia and Marik to pounce at him for getting so close to their leader, but they just continued to stand there. Yuugi's heart had never beaten this rapidly before.

Yuugi looked Yami in the eye; he couldn't tell if his shields were down or if his feelings were veiled. Yami was not letting him in and Yuugi felt like a hand had just grabbed his heart and _squeezed_.

"We've won." It was supposed to be a statement, but it came out as more of a question. Yuugi pressed on, steeling himself. "It's the last Game, and this time there is no way you can bend the rules. You have to let us go." Yuugi wished he sounded more confident as he spoke. It was like he was back in the game store where he first met Yami and he was at a loss for words.

Except, the look in Yami's eyes were different back then. Yuugi remembered his eyes were full of some sort of predatorily gleam; it was like he was staring at something just out of reach. Yuugi didn't realize back then that he really was something just out of reach to Yami.

But now, the look in his eyes was more like…

His train of thought was cut off when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and over his shoulder. He saw Jounouchi there; he was smiling at Yuugi encouragingly and then looked at Yami menacingly.

Jounouchi; his best friend. He knew Jounouchi would always be there for him. He wouldn't let Yuugi stand up against Yami alone. Although…

Yuugi looked back at Yami.

…Yuugi didn't think that there _was_ anything to stand up against.

"You know, I should kill you," Jounouchi said stubbornly. "After everything you put me and my friends through, I should kill you. I _can't_, but I'll die trying."

Yami didn't respond, his eyes just traveled down to the hand on Yuugi's shoulder.

Yuugi remembered what Yami had said to him in the cave.

"_I craved that love and warmth."_

Yuugi thought he realized what the look in Yami's eyes was. _Wistfulness._ Yami had always said he was unlike any other Shadow Man and that was because he craved what he could never have. Love, warmth, light. He was witnessing that just by the simple gesture from Jounouchi.

Jounouchi pursed his lips. "So…are you going to try anything?"

Yuugi gulped as he braced himself for anything that Yami might do to them. Yami was always full of tricks and surprises. The other times they had won a Game, Yami always threw in a little twist at the end that was always to his advantage. And then he and his brothers would laugh at them.

Yuugi expected him to do the same for this Game and he was prepared for anything Yami might throw at them. He was prepared to fight Yami. Why else would he let Yuugi take his friends so easily without a challenge? He was expecting something like…crossing a river of lava to get to them. He didn't expect to just walk right up to them and untie them without any fuss.

Then he would make a bargain with Yuugi and Yuugi would devise a plan to get out of it. Those were their roles; that is what _always _happened. Why wasn't Yami playing the Game?

Maybe he had something worse up his sleeve. Maybe…maybe…

Yuugi looked at Yami's eyes again and saw how weary he looked.

…Or maybe he was just tired of playing.

"We _have_ won, haven't we?" Yuugi asked, still expecting for Yami to flash Yuugi a heartbreakingly beautiful smirk and then proceed to screw them over.

But none of that happened. Yami nodded his head. "You've won, Yuugi." There was no emotion behind his voice; he wouldn't even look him in the eye. He really did look tired and weary, almost as if he had just given up.

Yuugi ferociously shook his head. No! That couldn't be! Yami wasn't the kind of person who would give up. He fought for everything he wanted!

"So…I can leave?" Yuugi asked.

"Yes."

Yuugi's eyes widened. There must be a catch here somewhere. Yami did not just admit defeat this easily. But his stance did look defeated. "And I can take everyone with me?"

"Yes."

Jounouchi pulled on Yuugi's shoulder. "Come on, let's go," he whispered.

Yuugi shrugged off Jounouchi's hand and stepped a little closer to Yami. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him. This wasn't Yami. This couldn't be Yami. But the thorn bracelet tattoo around his wrist begged to differ.

"I can leave and I can take all my friends with me. It's the last Game…it's over now." Yuugi didn't know who he was trying to convince whenever he said that last sentence.

Yami finally looked Yuugi in the eye and smiled sadly at him. Yuugi sucked in a breath; he looked so…so broken. Like a once beautiful glass figurine that had been shattered.

Yami shrugged helplessly as if to say, "What can you do?"

"It's the last Game, it's over now. I won't bother you again."

Yuugi didn't understand why that statement troubled him so much. This is what he wanted from the very beginning. He wanted Yami to leave him alone; he wanted nothing to do with the Shadow Man. Now with the idea of him being gone…it upset Yuugi. He didn't know what to think.

Yuugi took a few more steps forward and before he knew it he was standing right in front of Yami. He raised his hand and touched Yami's cheek with the pads of his fingers. Yami's eyes widened; he looked down at his feet.

"Get out," he whispered just above a breath.

Yuugi almost thought that he misheard; he drew his hand to his chest. "Wh-what?"

"Get out!"

Yuugi jumped back.

Marik put a firm hand on Yami's shoulder and squeezed down hard, digging his nails into his shoulder. "_Yami_, calm down."

Yami shook his head furiously, still looking down. His fists were clenched and it looked like he was shaking. "No! Get him out of here!" His voice broke half way through his sentence.

Yuugi barely noticed Jounouchi grabbing his shoulders and directing him away.

"JUST GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" he yelled, making everyone flinch at how desperate and shaky his voice was. He choked on a sob as he began to breathe heavily. "Before I do something…"

"Yami," Yuugi whispered softly, feeling the hot sting of tears in his eyes.

"…We'll all be sorry for." His voice sounded so weak.

Akefia looked at his leader and friend sadly. "Yami…"

Yuugi saw that there was a door that was right in the middle of the stage of the amphitheater. There were no walls around it; it was just a plain open door that came into existence out of nothing.

Through the open door, Yuugi saw his parents' hallway that was across from the basement door. Everyone looked pleased to see the sight of it, breathing sighs to relief. But whenever Yuugi saw the open door, he felt an unexplainable cold feeling grip his heart.

He jerked out of Jounouchi's grasp and took a few long strides until he was standing in front of Yami again. He noticed that Marik and Akefia were gaping at him; they tried to stop him but they were too late.

"Yami," Yuugi tried, his voice strong. He needed some sort of explanation for this.

Yami looked up at Yuugi and Yuugi drew in a surprised breath when he saw streams of tears run down Yami's cheek; his control was breaking. He could see in Yami's eyes that all he wanted to do was hold Yuugi in his arms and never let him escape…but he was giving Yuugi a chance.

"Leave. Just _go_—NOW!"

Yuugi flinched but he didn't back down.

"Yuugi, are you crazy?" Mai's voice was desperate from behind him.

Yuugi looked over his shoulder and gave all of his friends a sharp look. "Just give me one minute!" The force and the power behind his words even made Marik and Akefia flinch. The two Shadow Men stayed silent, something Yuugi was not used to. They stayed out of his way as he stood right in front of Yami and were looking at the shorter boy with raised eyebrows…again, something Yuugi was not used to from the two of them.

"Will you just get out of here?" Yami asked, his voice still forceful, but it was sounding more broken as his resolve was cracking.

His friends were shouting at him to just leave already; Malik was crying. During this experience with the Games, Yuugi had grown closer to Malik. He understood him more. He understood why Malik was crying now. It was because Malik—like Yuugi—was more confused then ever about his feelings. He didn't know what to believe.

Malik was doing exactly what Yuugi wanted to do right now.

But because of Yami, Yuugi was stronger now. All of those times he had to hide his fear and intimidation from Yami had made Yuugi stronger and more independent. He was no longer a pushover who could be bossed around by anybody. That was all because of Yami. The Shadow Man helped him grow as a person.

That is why Yuugi couldn't let this go.

"Yami, _please_ listen to—"

He was cut off when Yami grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Everyone shouted at this, including Akefia and Marik. Yuugi was frightened then. He had never seen Yami so angry before.

"No, you listen to me, Yuugi. I have told you this so many times. No matter what you do, you _cannot_ save me from myself. None of us can be saved!" He gestured to Akefia and Marik who were standing behind him. Yuugi could now see how badly Yami was shaking. "We are damned, nothing can change that. So please…" Yami took a deep breath. "Leave."

Yami let go of him and then shoved him. Yuugi didn't realize Jounouchi was standing right behind him until he ran into his chest.

"Please, get him out of here," Yami told Jounouchi. "I want to play this Game fairly. But if he isn't out of here in the next thirty seconds, I will gladly break the rules."

Jounouchi nodded in understanding. "Come on, buddy." Before Yuugi could make a sound of protest, Jounouchi slung Yuugi over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Yuugi shrieked and kicked his feet wildly. He beat his fists weakly against Jounouchi's back. "No!" he yelled. "Let go of me! Let go of me, Jou!" He felt like a child having a tantrum.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Jounouchi said solemnly.

Yuugi continued to struggle; he looked up and saw Yami was slowly growing smaller as Jounouchi walked further and further away, closer to the door. Yuugi saw Yami wave and mouth something like, _"Goodbye Yuugi."_

Yuugi felt tears run down his cheeks. "No! Yami!"

Suddenly, Ryou was in Yuugi's line of sight, blocking his view of Yami. He looked at his friend sadly and brushed away the tears. "Oh, Yuugi…I understand. I am so sorry."

Yuugi choked on a sob. This couldn't be the end! It just _couldn't._

They all started towards the door, Yuugi still over Jounouchi's shoulder.

When Ryou moved away, Yuugi noticed something unnerving. Akefia was looking up in the sky, worry was clear in his eyes. It looked as if he was checking the sky for storms and he saw a twister forming.

"Um, Yami…" Akefia began nervously.

But it was too late.

A thick mist moved in quickly, surrounding all of them. It was interspersed with dark tendrils, like lines of smoke from a chimney. Frost was forming on every surface. It covered construction equipment that was close enough and created a fine layer of crushed ice over the grass.

Ice and shadows.

Yuugi remembered it very well. It was the sight of the Shadow Realm. The horrible sight that became a recurring nightmare to him when he opened the door to the closet at five years old.

"Yami!" Mai shouted over the howling wind that had formed. It was cold and fierce. It reminded Yuugi of the water that had almost drowned him in the mine shaft.

Judging by the look on Marik, Akefia, and Yami's faces, they had nothing to do with this. But soon the mist became too thick that they could barely make out the Shadow Men's outlines.

"What is happening?" Anzu screeched over the wind.

Jounouchi had put Yuugi back down on his feet and was holding him tight to shield him from the wind. They were soon torn apart. The dark smoky tendrils reached out towards them like arms and held them apart. They trapped everyone.

The blinding brightness of the ice storm faded and the dark mist that had gathered began to form into human like shapes. Figures with ancient, evil eyes.

The other Shadow Men had come.

There were so many of them, some created a wall around Yami, Marik, and Akefia to keep them away. They were all dressed in the same smoke like black robes. And they were all gorgeous.

Anzu gaped. "Oh God…"

Everyone seemed a bit shocked at the unearthly beauty these Shadow Men possessed. Yuugi expected them to be ugly and deformed, much like the men from Malik's nightmare were like. But all of these men were handsome; they were so beautiful that there was no possible way they could be human.

Yuugi couldn't understand how cruel and ravenous eyes could match such a face as theirs.

They each had a beautiful feature different than the rest; something that made them stand out among the others. One thing they all had in common was that they were unbelievably pale. Yuugi wondered for a moment why Marik and Akefia were so tanned.

They may have looked gorgeous, but their smell did not match how they looked. They smelt like a hot, humid summer day felt. Musky and almost sweaty.

Suddenly, that little creature that Yuugi saw earlier—in his dream and in the park—scuttled across the ground. It stopped in front of Yuugi and the boy felt like he was going to be sick. It was a hideous creature to look at up close. Its skin was wrinkled and almost looked gray. Its skin stretched across the skin of its bald head.

Ryou looked away from it and clenched his eyes shut. "Oh God…what _is_ that thing?"

Before Yuugi had a chance to answer—even though he didn't know what it was either—the thing spoke, "Can we take you? We can carry you." Yuugi's eyes widened and the little creature laughed similarly to the Joker.

Before Yuugi's eyes, the ugly little creature changed its shape to one of those beautiful Shadow Men. The man before him now was just as heartbreakingly beautiful as the rest, but there was something about this one's eyes…

Yuugi's eyes widened and he made a strange choking noise in the back of his throat before screaming. This Shadow Man, his eyes were so old and ancient and the most evil. These eyes kept reappearing in all of his nightmares, watching him from the shadows. This is the pair of eyes that has always been watching him since he opened that closet door.

Yuugi knew that this Shadow Man was the oldest of them all.

The Shadow Man before him laughed again, the sound was rich and deep.

"Yuugi!" Yami shouted from beyond the wall of Shadow Men. "Leave him alone!"

Yuugi was still staring wide-eyed off into space. "That thing…j-just changed into…one of them. I don't understand…"

The leader of all the Shadow Men smiled; it reminded Yuugi so much of a shark's smile. "What you see, children, is not our true forms. We truly are hideous creatures, it is a shame, but we hide our true forms with this illusion you see here. We can change at any time of our own free will."

This Shadow Man's voice sounded so similar to Yami's it made Yuugi want to crawl in a corner and cover his ears with his hands. It wasn't right. There was no way that anyone could have the same soothing baritone voice as Yami's. This man's cruel face and malicious eyes did not match the sweet sound of his voice.

The Shadow Man scowled in the direction of the three younger Shadow Men. "Even _these three_ are not as they truly appear."

Yuugi thought he saw Yami bow his head in shame.

"You're lying," Yuugi said, beginning to recover from the trauma. His voice was shaky but it was beginning to become stronger again.

The oldest Shadow Man shook his head. "We never lie. Just ask, Slifer."

Yuugi briefly wondered who the Shadow Man was referring too but then Yami responded.

"Yes, we are truly monsters."

Yuugi couldn't imagine Yami looking so distorted and ugly as that one Shadow Man did before he changed into a beautiful being. It was hard to picture.

"But I don't understand why they are here!" Yami snapped, trying to push past the wall of bodies. "This isn't your Game, you have nothing to do with this!"

The leader smirked. "You know that it has always been our Game, Slifer. But it officially became our Game when the little brat stole our prey."

Yami froze then his jaw dropped in shock. He looked at Yuugi and disbelief was in his ruby eyes.

"He took what was rightfully ours. That wench of a woman and the boy. The woman was ours by blood right and whenever you let the boy go, Slifer, we hunted him and he became ours as well," the leader of the Shadow Men explained.

There was a chorus of agreement coming from the other Shadow Men.

Yami pursed his lips. "You must have been done with…the woman, right? She was so weak; she couldn't have been much fun to you anymore, correct?"

Yuugi quickly looked at Yami in surprise. Was he…defending him?

"That does not matter!" one Shadow Man snapped.

"She was ours by blood right and that wretched boy had no right to release her!" another spoke up.

"And we hadn't even gotten to enjoy the young boy yet," one said hungrily.

Yuugi was happy to hear that he had saved Soren before anything like that could happen to him. He was also glad that he could save his mother from an eternity of torture. But he was still frightened.

The leader moved closer to Yuugi and looked down at the boy. He scowled at Yuugi, as if he were nothing but mud on his shoe; bothersome. "The boy stole their souls from us, now his life is forfeit." He looked over his shoulder and threw Yami a smug look. "Now, he is our prey."

Everyone's eyes widened at once.

"No!" Mai shouted; she struggled with her bonds. The tendrils of smoke that were holding them back tightened like rope when Mai began to fight. "Get away from him, you bastards!"

They all ignored Mai, knowing that she couldn't do anything, and knowing the number on her side that marked her fate.

"By our laws, you are now ours," the leader said, a sickening smirk stretching across his face. "We can do anything we wish to you; take you, embrace you." The man ran a long, slender finger down his cheek; Yuugi shivered. "The law cannot be changed."

"No!"

Yuugi couldn't tell if it was Mai or Yami who had shouted that.

The Shadow Man suddenly grabbed Yuugi's chin roughly and forced the boy to stare into his stormy gray eyes. "You cheated us ten years ago, but now you are ours. Now, we can taste that sweet flesh of yours."

-/-

**Ranko: If you think about it, this cliffhanger isn't as bad as the other cliffhangers I leave you with…right? Don't kill me…Hey! At least I updated quickly!**

**Yami: I don't know what to think about this chapter. **

**Yuugi: Neither do I, but I have to admit, my character is pretty awesome in this chapter. **

**Ranko: I know! I am so proud of you, Yuugi! Oh yeah! Here is some random news about my life. I got my toenails done today and I have Totaro painted on the nails my big toes! It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! **

**Yuugi: Do some of these people even know what "My Neighbor, Totaro" is? **

**Ranko: If they don't, they are seriously deprived. If you have never seen "My Neighbor, Totaro" or "Kiki's Delivery Service" or "Howl's Moving Castle" go watch them now! That is what I watched all the time as a kid…I still do ^^**

**Yami: You know the drill: review. **

**Ranko: And watch the movies! You seriously have not lived until you have seen them. I will love you forever! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Ranko: I don't want this story to end!**

**Yuugi: Its okay, Ranko!**

**Ranko: How can you say that?**

**Yami: Maybe because this isn't the last chapter? **

**Ranko: You're right, it isn't…the chapter after this is the last chapter! (cries)**

**Yuugi: Oh, poor thing…**

**Yami: Yeah right!**

**Ranko: Face is Yami, Yuugi loves me more than you. **

**Yami: Hey, listen you here, you—**

**Yuugi: (slaps hand over Yami's mouth) Time to answer reviews, Ranko!**

**IlluminatedWord:**** I like to answer reviews, deary! Besides, you keep giving me stuff to respond too. I love Howl's Moving Castle! I actually love all of Miyazaki's films, they are so beautiful! Don't you just hate it how you want to punch Yami won't moment and then hug him the next? Can't decide! I love tough Ryou; he's awesome =3**

**Grush:**** They are my favorite pairing too, but you don't have to sacrifice a lamb for me ^^" Because I won't write a lemon, it is against my policy. I know I said I may write one for this story a while back but things have changed since then. Sorry, keep the lamb alive for me though!**

**lilpopsplash:**** Nothing to be embarrassed about, deary. If you are a fangirl of any kind it is bound to happen eventually. I go off on fangirl rants all the time, its fun :) Yep, I am sneaky like that when it comes to wording, huh? ;)**

**SincerelyChristina:**** Watch it! Oh my, goodness; watch it now! YGOTAS is much more important than my story XD I don't think that Yami is down for the count yet, we'll see in this chapter (get tissues). Yeah you can hug Yami, here…(tosses Yami to you). Its not weird that the semi-evil people are some of your favorites, you're a fangirl, that's aloud. **

**James Birdsong:**** Why, hello ;) The last time I saw a review from you was for one of my Ranma ½ stories, am I correct? Or am I thinking of a different person? Oh well, thank you for the compliment and aren't his films amazing? I love them!**

**Cascade00:**** *_* Well, that came out of nowhere. They aren't going to rape Yuugi, I can tell you that much. So put your mind at ease. **

**Cheshirecat23The:**** XD I can assure you that Yuugi will not be raped. And the Shadow Men are actually very beautiful, just whenever they reveal their true forms are they ugly, but they never reveal their true forms so it's all good! Unfortunately, deary, I can only accept one word per person; you already gave me a word so I can't get another one from you TT_TT**

**CrimsonStrawberry17:**** Yes, it is disturbing to think about those sexy, sexy Shadow Men we have learned to love actually be hideous creatures, huh? Kiki's Delivery Service was my favorite movie when I was kid, and My Neighbor, Totoro (I misspelled it last time). Howl's Moving Castle is just beautiful and then Princess Mononoke! Basically I just love all of Miyazaki's films; excuse me while I fangirl. I have seen Spirited Away as well, when I was younger I didn't think I would like it and now I have it on DVD =)**

**Zeladious:**** Well, I guess Yuugi doesn't make sense like that. He is star, he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants, right? Yes, I realized it was My Neighbor, Totoro after I had already posted it and I felt so bad afterwards. Yes, I take great pride in something like that too, considering I did grow up on those movies and I still love them now that I am older. **

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing. **

**Ranko: …I can't say it, I'm too sad. **

**Yuugi: Enjoy!**

-/-

"_I am sorry, Slifer, it had to be done," father had told Yami. The young Shadow Man was curled up in a tight ball away from the older, clutching his right arm to his chest. "I had to mark you so that you would never run up to the human world again, it is so I can protect you."_

_The father of all Shadow Men took the arm that the boy was holding and ran his thumb across the tattoo of a thorn bracelet that was still a bit red from when it had been applied. "This is so I can find you whenever if you are lost and stop you if you do anything that is dangerous."_

_Yami turned his head away from his father and snatched back his wrist. _

_The father sighed. "I did this for your own good, Slifer."_

* * *

The next thing that Yuugi heard was a verbal shout. It wasn't even an exact word, more like a wave of energy that screamed: _No! No! Stop!_

The father of Shadow Men stopped and pulled away from Yuugi slightly, turning to the source and narrowing his beautiful, yet haunting eyes.

The mist uncoiled from around their limbs. Yuugi's hazy vision focused again. He stood there, gasping a little bit. It felt like someone had been cutting off his air and then was rapidly returned. Yuugi looked around in a sort of vague unawareness. He saw that everyone else was panting. They obviously felt the same out-of-breathness just now.

It looked like everyone was on the verge of hysteria; they blinked owlishly at Yuugi, as if they couldn't believe he was safe. However, the shout came from none of them, it came from Yami.

He was standing outside the circle of Shadow Men that had surrounded him, his eyes were wild as he transitioned his gaze from Yuugi to his father. Yuugi felt hope warm his chest—maybe there was something that Yami could do. But in the next moment, that warm feeling turned to ice.

"You know the law," the oldest Shadow Man said menacingly to Yami.

Yami's eyes fell.

Yuugi felt a feeling squeeze his heart and make his blood rush faster in his veins. These Shadow Men were playing them, just as Yami had played him in all three Games. Now the tables were turned and Yami was on the receiving end of it, but Yuugi didn't feel as satisfied as he thought he would be.

The father of Shadow Men continued. "Nothing can stop us from taking him, unless someone else willingly takes his place."

Yuugi's eyes widened. They had said that same thing to his parents all those years ago. His parents had taken his place and had sacrificed themselves for the Shadow Men. Now he couldn't help but wonder why they both went through the door instead of only one of them.

But now, Yuugi had broken the bargain that the Shadow Men had made with his parents. He had set his mother's and Soren's soul free, and now he had to pay the price.

Everything had made full circle.

The deafening silence stretched on and on, making Yuugi's throat tighten. He didn't want any of his friends to take his place; this was his problem and his own debt that he had to pay.

"I'll go."

Yuugi's eyes widened in surprise. He quickly whipped his head around and saw Jounouchi stepping forward. His dirty blonde hair was disheveled and his eyes were shining brightly. He was smiling cockily and he looked so casual standing there, as if he were hanging around the school yard and not offering to sacrifice his soul.

Yuugi felt his eyes water. Jounouchi looked like he was surrounded by sunshine, even if this dark and eerie place. He looked so confident and laid-back, something Yuugi wished he was. Jounouchi had changed Yuugi; he showed Yuugi what real friendship was like and Jounouchi was proving that right now.

"Well, if Jounouchi is going then I guess I'll go too," Seto said tiredly—as if he was dealing with a child that would not go to sleep. The taller man stepped forward and rested a hand on Jounouchi's shoulder. Yuugi couldn't help but think how cool Seto looked; the man looked so relaxed, almost bored. "If you're going to take Jounouchi then take me too."

"Hey, I don't need your protection," Jounouchi argued weakly. "Go away."

Yuugi laughed as he rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe those two; Jounouchi had always hated Seto but this experience had developed their relationship even more. Now only if Jounouchi would admit it was something more.

"You can't tell me what I can or can't do," Seto said.

Yuugi listened in disbelief as Anzu offered her own soul and then Honda following close after her.

Bakura and Ryou had been whispering to each other for a while and then they stepped forward, hand in hand. Ryou looked like some kind of fallen angel. His white clothes were wrinkled on his body and his hair was tangled and poking up in all different directions. Bakura looked a lot like a warrior ready for battle.

"If anyone should go, I think it should be me," Ryou said strongly. "Just don't take Yuugi, he doesn't deserve this. He is smart and brave. Honestly, I should have died in the paper house so I am giving my life to you now."

Bakura put an arm around Ryou. "The only condition is that you have to take the both of us. You know, for company, right?" He grinned devilishly and Ryou elbowed his side lightly.

Yuugi saw the love in Bakura and Ryou's eyes; they were willing to sacrifice their lives as long as they were together forever. Now Yuugi realized why his parents sacrificed themselves to the Shadow Men forever instead of just one of them going.

"No!" Malik suddenly shouted. "No one should be taken! Why can't you just leave us alone? I am tired of all the pain and grief we have went through and I have had enough of all this Shadow Realm and Shadow Men nonsense!" The boy was hyperventilating.

Mai came up behind the boy and put an arm around his shoulder. She made soothing sound as the boy cried and gasped for breath. "It's okay, shush now."

The Shadow Men ignored Mai and Malik. They were obviously pleased, Yuugi could tell that much. To them, the odds were probably turning out much higher than they thought they would. Yuugi could guess that this was one of the Shadow Men's more exciting games in a while—Yuugi and his friends were more sporting. They had seven mice to play with now and they were enjoying every minute of it.

"Are you sure you know what you are offering?" the father said, his voice like silk.

"We should explain to them what exactly they are getting into," another Shadow Man spoke up; his voice was deep and rich, it reminded Yuugi of chocolate covered strawberries.

After that, other melodious voices joined in and Shadow Men began to state their opinion on the matter. Yuugi cringed as the Shadow Men all drew closer to them. They may have a pretty face but Yuugi could sense the evil and ugliness beneath the surface. It made him revolt in disgust. It felt like he was being suffocated; he didn't want those things to touch him or his friends.

It was time for somebody to put a stop to this. It was time for Yuugi to be brave and confident, like all of his friends.

"That's enough," Yuugi said sharply. He took a step forward and looked the father straight in the eye. "You've had your fun, but it is about time this little game ends. I'm the one you want, the one that cheated you. So forget about everyone else. I'll go with you."

Yuugi's whole body was trembling slightly, as if he was cold, but that didn't matter. He felt good. He was glad that he could die like this, in such a brave and honorable way. He was happy that he could be brave like the rest of his friends.

"Yuugi!" Mai shouted, a slight tremor in her voice. Yuugi looked over her shoulder and saw his cousin pleading for him not to go. If she wasn't the thing that was holding Malik up than Yuugi was sure that she would rush towards him and hug him tightly. Yuugi smiled at his cousin and shook his head.

The father ignored Mai and held out his hand, almost gently, to Yuugi. Yuugi noticed that his hand was pale and he had long, slender fingers, much like Yami's. He looked up into the Shadow Man's eyes and saw that were as hard and cold as ice.

Yuugi put his hand in the other's.

The Shadow Man grinned sickeningly.

Then, suddenly, something—or someone—knocked them apart.

Yuugi was caught breathless; he was startled and confused. He didn't know what just happened; it all happened so quickly. At first he thought it was some kind of attack.

Then he saw Yami.

He stood in front of Yuugi, guarding him from the oldest Shadow Man. From over Yami's shoulder Yuugi saw the other Shadow Man narrow his eyes dangerously at Yami. "You have tested me for the last time, Slifer."

Without looking back at Yuugi, Yami said, "Go through the door! That's your way home; they won't come after you."

Father suddenly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. The tattoo on Yami's right wrist glowed red, much like when they invoked the Uruz rune at the beginning of The Shadow Game. It glowed like red hot coals in a fire.

Yami screamed in pain and was brought to his knees. His right arm was raised above his head, like someone was holding it up like that. Father squeezed his fist tighter and the tattoo became redder; Yami screamed again. Blood began to run down his forearm.

"Yami!" Yuugi cried, rushing to him.

Yami gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Go on!" he screamed out in agony.

"You have disobeyed me for the last time!" the oldest Shadow Man shouted out, his eyes glowing.

Yuugi heard his friends shouting for him to hurry and leave already, but they didn't understand. He couldn't leave Yami behind like this. He had saved Yuugi's life, more than once. Yuugi turned around and saw his friends beckoning him to come closer to them. Yuugi saw the door wide open and his parents' hallway.

"We have a right to kill, Slifer, and we will take a life today, whether it is a human's life or not," the father said icily. Another Shadow Man stepped up and handed his father a gold box with Egyptian hieroglyphics scratched onto the side. In the center on the side of the box was the Eye or Horus.

Yuugi recognized that; it was the golden box he saw at the game shop when he first met Yami.

Shadow Man pulled out a candle from the golden box. The end of the candle burst to life as soon as the father of Shadow Men had it in his hands.

"_Our names are carved onto a candle and if it is carved out, then we die." _

There was no name on the side of the candle but Yuugi immediately knew that it was Yami's. Yuugi steeled himself and without thinking, threw himself over Yami's body. "No!"

* * *

"_You know, you don't have to call me 'your highness' all the time, you know? We're friends now! Aren't we, Heba?" the crown prince of Egypt asked the little slave boy. _

_Heba blushed and twiddled his thumbs. "But that would be improper and disrespectful, my prince."_

_The prince sighed and smiled helplessly at Heba. "Alright then, how about you only call be by my real name in private! You see? I've given you permission to call me by my name and no one else can you hear you say it so you won't get in trouble!"_

_Heba raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "That hardly makes any sense. I would still be dishonoring the royal family."  
_

_The prince pouted. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that I am tired of you calling me by all of these formal titles. I am sick of it!"_

_Heba sighed in defeat. "Alright, but it would be helpful if I actually knew what your name is."_

_The prince blinked at the slave boy. "You mean you don't know?"_

_Heba shook his head. "No, it is never mentioned in the slave quarters. I have no idea what your name is."_

_The prince smiled and bowed to Heba. "My name is Atemu, Prince of Egypt. But I prefer to be called Atem." The young prince laughed. _

* * *

"_No!" Atem cried as he held Heba's cold body in his arms. There was a gaping wound in his chest. An assassin had tried to kill the prince but Heba had stepped in the way of the arrow and it pierced right through the boy's heart. There was blood trickling down the boy's chin and his beautiful eyes were slowly losing their light. _

_Heba raised his hand weakly; it was shaking. He caressed Atem's cheek weakly and Atem raised his hand to press the bloody hand closer to his face. "A-Atem…?"_

"_Yes, I'm here!" he cried desperately. _

_Heba smiled weakly. "That's good…" His voice was hoarse. "Atem, please promise me something."_

"_Anything," he said, tears rolling down his cheeks and mixing with Heba's blood. _

"_Please, don't forget me…" He took in a shuddering breath. "And continue to be the kind young boy that I first met in the garden. N-nev…ver…change…" Then Heba took his last breath. _

_His hand fell limp and landed by his side. Atem stared unbelievingly at Heba's still and cold body. He couldn't believe that his dearest friend and love had died in his arms; he couldn't believe that his chest would never rise and fall again. He couldn't believe that he would never see Heba smile at him, or scold him, or ever see his bright amethyst eyes look at him with love. _

_He felt all of those emotions bubble up in his chest and then he let them out with a heart-wrenching scream. "No! You can't die! Please…don't leave me alone!" _

"We can bring him back,"_ a whispering voice spoke. _

_Atem whipped around; there was no one behind him. "Who's there?"_

"We can give you the power to bring your loved one back to life."

_Atem looked down at Heba's dead body that was still lying in his arms. "How?" he asked into the air. _

"Join the Shadows and become a Shadow Man. You will then have the power to bring your love back to you. So what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

_Without hesitating, Atem answered. "Yes."_

* * *

"I…I can't believe this. You are what I have been searching for all this time. You are my life," Yami gasped out, his right wrist still pulsing in pain. He looked up at Yuugi who looked equally shocked. Yami furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. There was a new kind of light in his eyes; a new understanding. "Heba?"

"You…" Yuugi had tears running down his cheeks. "You're Atem, my Atem; my prince."

Yami and Yuugi were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice when Yami's real name was etched onto his candle by an invisible hand. The name glowed golden on the candle and the father of Shadow Men grinned in satisfaction. "Yes," he whispered in glee; a small knife appeared in his hand.

"Give the boy to us," the father of Shadow Men commanded, raising the knife menacingly.

Yami gritted his teeth and turned away from Yuugi to say, "Never."

Yuugi's friends were all together, gathering near Yuugi. Their way to the door was clear, but no one started for it.

"What is going on?" Jounouchi asked to no one in particular.

"You what we can do," the oldest said, his voice becoming icy and dark.

"Go through the door," Yami commanded.

"No," Yuugi said, just as strongly.

"We can unmake you!" the oldest said furiously; it sounded like ice breaking.

"What are they talking about?" Anzu asked.

Mai shook her head. "They can cut out his name. If they cut out Yami's name than he dies."

"Yami!" Akefia and Marik shouted.

"Keep those two trouble-makers back! We will deal with them later," father snapped sharply.

"Go!" Yami cried.

"No, I won't lose you again," Yuugi said.

"Yuugi, let's go!" Mai said in a panic.

"Not without—!"

"Go, now!" Yami cried.

The knife rose and fell, making a slash across the name: ATEM.

Yuugi heard himself scream; he felt it pierce his own eardrums. They had carved out Yami's name; they had carved out Yami's real name.

Yami clutched his chest and gasped, as if they had driven that knife through his heart instead. He hunched over and screamed in agony. He was panting and his face was ashen. Yuugi wondered desperately that there must be something he can do to save him, but he knew that it was too late.

The other Shadow Men rushed at Yuugi in a blur of darkness and ice. Something jumped in their way, blocking the Shadow Men from Yuugi and his friends. It was Marik and Akefia. Whatever they did, it created a barrier between Yuugi and his friends, and the Shadow Men.

"Go!" Akefia shouted, snapping Yuugi's mind out of its haze after Yami's name had been carved out. "Take Yami with you! We'll hold them off!"

Bakura, Seto, and Honda pulled Yami up and carried him.

"But what about you?" Ryou asked desperately.

Akefia smiled. "It's okay, we would have been killed anyway for disobeying the law, at least this way we'll be able to help you."

"Go! Now!" Marik shouted.

"Thank you, Ryou," Akefia said.

Ryou had tears rolling down his cheeks and Mai led him away. "Goodbye, Akefia."

They were all running towards the door, the three boys were half-carrying Yami with them. The door was wide-open and right in front of them. Yuugi pumped his short legs to run faster. They all jumped through the open door and it felt like the time that Yuugi had jumped through the door with Malik at the end of The Shadow Game and they freefell.

There was a moment of that and then they tumbled into the hallway. Bodies landed on one another and legs were tangled up in each other's.

Mai groaned in pain and then gasped. She quickly got to her feet and slammed the door shut. The door shook on its hinges as if a great pressure had been applied to it and was banging against it repeatedly. "Where's a knife? We need to carve out the circle!"

Bakura was fumbling to his feet, grabbing his knife out of his back pocket; he handed it to Mai. She made two, long slashes, making a slanted _X_ that was supposed to Nauthiz. She slid down the door in pure exhaustion and landed on her backside, groaning.

"You don't need to do that," a weak voice spoke up—Yami. His voice was distant, as if he were reliving a memory. He had tears forming in his eyes; he was obviously pained by the death of Akefia and Marik. He was still clutching his chest. "They won't come after you. They don't have a claim anymore." He chuckled humorlessly.

Yuugi let out a little surprised shout and rushed over to Yami. He felt tears rushing down his face as he held Yami's hand in his. He was cold as ice. Yuugi couldn't believe, no—he couldn't accept that this was the end. Yami couldn't die. Not after everything they have been through. This couldn't be the end.

Yuugi remembered all the guises that Yami put up to fool Yuugi during the Games, but now, at this moment, Yuugi saw Yami for who he really was. Just Yami; no longer a Shadow Man. He wasn't Atem, he was Yami.

Yuugi thought he could see something flickering far back in his eyes, like a twisting flame that was about be blown out but was still standing strong.

"No, Yami, you can't die," Yuugi said desperately. "There has to be another way."

"The law can't be changed," Yami said.

"You can't die," Yuugi said more stubbornly; he felt hot tears roll down his face and drip from the end of his chin. The flame was slowly dying out.

"Did you know that Gebo isn't just the rune for sacrifice?" Yami said, smiling softly.

Yuugi shook his head. "I don't care."

"It means gift too. You gave me a precious gift, Yuugi."

"I don't care!" Yuugi said more forcefully, as the tears came faster.

"You showed me what it felt like to love; you gave me back my memories and showed me that I was loved at one point; you showed me that I once lived in a place with light and warmth. Thank you, Yuugi."

Yuugi put a hand to his mouth to keep from sobbing.

"Please don't cry, Yuugi, I don't like it when you cry. I'm sorry for everything I did to you. This is my gift to you and you can't help but take it; you're free, Yuugi. The Shadow Realm or the Shadow Men will never bother you again."

Yuugi shook his head. "No, you can't just die. Not like this; you can't go out. You can't leave me now that I have finally found you," Yuugi said.

Yami smiled. "I'm so glad you found me, Yuugi. When I am gone, all the pain I have caused everyone will go away. Do you blame me, Yuugi?"

Yuugi bit his lip. "No, I don't. Yami…I love you. I love you, I love you, I love."

Yami sighed in contentment and closed his eyes. "That is all I needed to hear. Nothing really dies as long as it isn't forgotten; will you remember me, Yuugi?"

Yuugi cracked a smile. "I will always remember you, Yami."

A tear slipped past Yami's closed eyes. "I now I've already told you so many times, but I love you, Yuugi."

Yuugi nodded. "Yes, I know; I love you too, Yami." He chocked and began to sob.

Yami smiled again. "Your…ring…"

Yuugi didn't get a chance to ask what Yami meant by that because in the next moment Yami's body began to dissolve.

"No…" Yuugi said. "No, no, no! Please! Don't leave me! I've just told you my feelings! You can't just leave now! We're supposed to live happily ever after and...and...! He chocked on a sob.

Yami's body became lighter and lighter and it then if dissolved into nothing but specs of light and it floated up to the ceiling, like smoke rising from a chimney.

Yuugi's hand was still positioned where it was once holding Yami's, but he was gone now. He had became light and had left towards the sky. He was numb to any sensation as he pulled the golden band off his finger. The inscription inside changed. Yuugi let out a weak cry of pain and folded in on himself as he began to sob.

It read: _As Light to Dark, they are free from each other. _

* * *

Suguroku stood over a few marked maps outside his tent, studying them; he was still on a dig in Egypt. There was a sudden gust of wind that disturbed the maps and flew sand everywhere, but it wasn't a sandstorm. When it settled, Suguroku couldn't believe what was in front of him.

It was the little boy that he had played with all those years ago in the field. He was standing in front of Suguroku, smiling cheerfully and with a child-like innocence. The old man rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was seeing this correctly.

"Y-Yami?"

The boy nodded silently.

"What are you doing here? What happened to you all those years ago?"

The boy shook his head sadly and pointed to his throat. He couldn't speak. Suguroku understood and read the boy's lips.

"_Thank you."_

Suguroku's eyes widened and then there was another random gust of wind. "Wait!" he called out. But when the wind had stopped and the sand had settled, the boy was gone, and Suguroku swore he heard the sound of children laughing.

-/-

**Ranko: Excuse me as I go to a corner to cry my eyes out and hide from angry reviewers. **

**Yuugi: Ranko! How could you? (hugs Yami and cries)**

**Yami: What the hell? You killed me?**

**Ranko: Okay, just to clear things up, this story is NOT over yet. So before anyone asks me, "WTF? Is there going to be a chapter 16? RAWR!" There WILL be a chapter 16! So no bitching! Please and thank you!**

**Yuugi: (eyes wide)**

**Yami: Whoa…**

**Ranko: I'm sorry, I'm just really emotional right now. My baby, look how far it has come and the end is literally right around the corner! …And running from me. Hey! Get back here! (runs off)**

**Yuugi: Okay, as Ranko chases the last chapter, tell us what you thought. We would appreciate long reviews to tell us your thoughts. Thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ranko: You know, I was half-tempted to hide for this opening, considering all the death threats I got for killing off Yami…then I realized that it is the last chapter! I'm going to cry!**

**Yuugi: No! Ranko don't cry. **

**Yami: Let her cry, she killed me!**

**Yuugi: You'll get over it. **

**Ranko: It's just, this has been such an amazing experience writing this story and the whole trilogy and I am so glad that I could share it with all of these wonderful people who have supported throughout this whole ordeal, for God knows what reason. **

**Yami: Since it is the last chapter, are you going to answer all the reviews?**

**Yuugi: …**

**Ranko: As much as I LOVE all of you, I'm afraid not. You want to know why? Because I counted and I got nearly 30 reviews just for chapter 15 alone. I appreciate that number and I am ecstatic that you guys love me (or hate me) that much but I think I would die if I answered all those reviews. So, I love you all and I appreciate all the love and support I get, but not everyone's review will be answered! **

**CandyFiend:**** You really enjoyed reading it? Well that's good because I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you for sticking with this story for this long, you're awesome!**

**hikari no senshi17:**** (backs away from gun) I cannot give any spoilers away! You will just have to scroll down and read it! It will probably answer all of your questions and I hope that you are satisfied with the answers. But I have to answer one question, there will be no Marik and Malik togetherness. I think I'm done with the death though, my heart can't take much more of it. **

**Cascade00:**** You don't have to apologize, deary! It is perfectly okay! I am used to the abnormal and the strange (not to say what you said last review was strange). Ask any questions you want, don't be embarrassed ;)**

**Guest:**** No, you did not miss any details. I mean, Suguroku met Yami when he was a kid (read What's in a Name? for more details). Did you just quote I Love Lucy at me? Or was that Mr. Sheffield from The Nanny?**

**raindropdew:**** Stop it! You're going to make me start crying again! :'(**

**Cheshirecat23The:**** I know, it's sad. I'm sad too :( What am I gonna do when this story is over? …Oh, I know! But I can't tell you yet, you're going to have to wait until the end of the chapter for a special announcement ;) I still love you too and thank you so much for all the support you have given me throughout this whole series. **

**TheWingedSunDragonofRal13402:**** I'm not offended, you will be surprise how many death threats I got from what I did last chapter. I think that this chapter will be better though, but that is just my opinion. **

**Kirya-chan:**** I'm glad that you followed this story all the way through too. It makes me so happy that you have supported me with this craziness and everything, I am being sincere. Thank you so much for the amazing comment, it is so good to hear from a reader exactly what I want to hear when it comes to the development of this story. **

**KuroNekoFangirl:**** Because I evil ;)**

**IlluminatedWord:**** Yes, I am very pleased with myself. By the way, I didn't say it would end differently, I said that it wouldn't be the same as The Forbidden Game series. There's a difference! Miyazaki films always cure a broken heart. **

**lilpopspash:**** But you see, you reviewed anyway ;) He-he…he? …I'll go lock my doors now. **

**Ren Hakuryuu:**** Manga is more important than anything else. Anyway, you may call him Yami since that is what he has been called throughout the entire series. Well, the line to kill me forms to the left. **

**Great:**** No one wrote Yami's name. It was a metaphor. "An invisible hand…" no one. It just appeared on the candle whenever Yami learned his real name. Yuugi's dad is dead, just like his mom. They are not coming back. **

**AmerillaRose:**** It's all good, nothing new to me. I'm sorry that you felt there wasn't enough build-up, I kind of felt that way too but I was so high off of all the feels that I kind of just pushed that to the back of my mind. No spoilers! Yes, even on the last chapter. **

**SincereJoyy:**** Welcome back, just in time too. Anyway, yes, that my goal all along. To take all your feels, mash them into a ball and then kick it around in the dirt. You caught me; I'm a horrible person. Sarcasm ;) Thank you so much for supporting me throughout this crazy journey, you are freaking awesome! Not sarcasm :)**

**SincerelyChristina:**** You have always been able to see one step ahead of me and then make me feel all special by complementing me and telling me that I am amazing. You are amazing for following me throughout this. How the hell did you do it? But in all seriousness, you are such a huge supporter and every time I get a review from you, I cry tears of joy inside. I hope that you will continue to support me through other stories that I do. **

**Ranko: Well, I guess that's it…the last time I'll be answering reviews ever for this story or trilogy. And I think that I am about to cry…Group hug! Because I'm sentimental like that. **

**Yuugi: Aw!**

**Yami: Alright, fine. **

**Ranko: I still can't believe this thing is ending. What am I going to do with myself? Well, one door closes and another opens. Stick around until the last author's note for a special announcement!**

**Yuugi: And now…**

**Ranko: Enjoy.**

-/-

"Yuugi?" Suguroku called, entering the apartment. He was surprised to see that all of the couches and chairs were pushed to the center of the living room and that there were sleeping bags, pillows and blankets scattered throughout the room on the floor. He raised a quizzical eyebrow at the scene and then shrugged. "Yuugi, are you home?"

"In my room, grandpa," a weak voice called back.

Suguroku set his bags on the floor and went down the hall to Yuugi's room. He saw that there were pictures knocked down from the walls as if someone had been searching blindly in the dark for something. Suguroku saw that Yuugi's door was open; he stood in the doorframe. The room was dark, the only light coming from the open skylight.

Yuugi was sitting on his bed, playing with something that looked to be a gold ring.

Suguroku smiled and sat down next to his grandson. "Hey Yuugi, where's Mai?" he asked.

Yuugi shrugged. "I don't know. She separated from us at Hokkaido, said she had some place to be. She said 'I love you' to me and told me to tell you, 'Thank you.'"

Suguroku smiled sadly; so it was finally time.

"Grandpa," Yuugi said firmly. That is what shocked Suguroku the most. Yuugi's voice was not timid or shy. His voice was strong and confident, his shoulders were square and his eyes did not have the same innocence shining in them. Suguroku heard from Mai that they had played The Shadow Game but anything after that he didn't know about. He wondered what could have made this change in Yuugi.

"What is it, my boy?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me who my parents were and what they did?" he asked.

Suguroku sighed; he knew this question coming. "Yuugi, I did that so I could protect you. I thought if you never knew than you would never be a part of that world and be in danger; your parents wanted you to be safe."

Yuugi bit his lower lip; Suguroku noticed that the boy's bottom lip were chapped, as if he had been biting his lip a lot. "It still followed me," Yuugi said, his eyes watering. "It came in the form of an innocent game, or a sparkling ruby…"

Suguroku sighed and patted the boy on the back. "I know, Yuugi, and I apologize. It was unfair to do that to you, but I honestly thought it was for the best."

Yuugi sighed as well and nodded. "I know."

"So…" Suguroku said, "How was it while I was gone? You didn't get into too much trouble did you?"

Yuugi pursed his lips and smiled softly. "Besides what you already know, nothing really. I hung out with some friends and had a good time."

Suguroku knew by the look in Yuugi's eyes that the boy was lying to him. Suguroku thought of the little Shadow Man—Yami—how he had given the boy a name and befriended him. He remembered the look on the little boy's face when he saw him on his dig in Egypt. He looked at peace. Suguroku sighed tiredly; he supposed that he and the boy would share their own secrets for sake of the other.

* * *

Mai walked along the sandy beach, watching as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. She knew what would happen when this new day began. She would die. She knew this and she already mentally and emotionally prepared for it. She knew this was coming for a long time.

She had told Yuugi she loved him and told him to give a message to grandpa. She had said her final goodbyes to the only family she had left. That is all that mattered and she was happy that she could leave this world knowing that Yuugi would be safe and free from any danger.

She watched and waited as the sun crept up over the sea and lit up the morning with a strange pale glow. Any moment now, she would disappear into oblivion. The sun rose higher and further away from the sea. Any moment now…

She felt a bubbling feeling in her chest but she refused to let her hopes up. She lifted her shirt and saw that the tattoo on her side was slowly burning away; it reminded her of delicate parchment paper crumbling and burning in a fire. She put a hand to her mouth as she felt her eyes begin to water with tears.

How could this be?

She gasped whenever her Shadow Hunter tattoo reappeared on her side. The tattoo she was born with; the tattoo that she has not seen for so long.

She let out a loud cry of joy; she jumped up in the air and kicked up sand. She laughed hysterically, falling on her back and rolling around in the sand; she felt the texture and smelt the fresh sea water. She jumped to her feet and ran to the sea, still laughing childishly. She splashed around in the salt water, kicking and splashing. She let out a shrieking laugh and fell back, submerging herself in the water.

She broke the surface, smiling brightly. She pushed her golden blonde bangs out of her face and breathed in a gulp of fresh, clean, _beautiful_ air.

"_When I am gone, all the pain I have caused everyone will go away."_

Mai looked up at the morning sky, smiling contentedly. She always heard people say that one never really truly appreciates something until it is gone. When Yami left, Mai had a lot to think about. When he dissipated into the air, it felt like he was taking a part of her with him.

They did not always get along; however, she must also admit that he became a big part of her life. Seeing that part of her life that has always been there just leave right in front of her eyes made her heart ache.

She and Yami had the same goals, as well. They both wanted to keep Yuugi safe, albeit, they wanted to keep Yuugi safe from the other but that was beside the point.

She floated on her back in the sea and looked up at the sky. Everything felt like it was at peace now. It felt like the universe was back in balance. Everything was right with the world and she could tell there was going to be a happy ending.

"Thank you, Yami."

* * *

Yuugi stood uncomfortably amidst the happy families guiding their squealing children and the sound of joyous laughter coming from fast-paced rides. Yuugi's grandfather had suggested that he take Yuugi and all of his friends to Wonderland Park.

Honestly, Yuugi was surprised they even agree after what happened to them only a week ago.

The pain was still fresh in Yuugi's heart. He could still remember holding Yami's hand as he died. He wished that he could have spent more time with him; he had wasted so much time fighting him when really that was the exact opposite of what Yuugi should have been doing.

Yuugi sighed; he knew he should have gone with his friends on the roller coaster. It wasn't the best thing for him to be alone with his thoughts during this time in his life.

He decided to think of happier thoughts. Everyone's lives seemed to be back in order; to Yuugi, it felt like the universe was back in balance even though his wasn't. He still hadn't seen Mai but he had gotten a letter in the mail from her the other day saying that she was doing great and she was going to start traveling the world.

Bakura was going to get a job in Domino and rent out an apartment for him and Ryou to live in. Malik was going to be living with them since he was always alone at his home. His older step brother was dead and his sister was always at the museum. He felt safer and more comfortable with other people around.

Yuugi chuckled dryly; he remembered whenever Malik was this intimidating upperclassman that always caused trouble and had this tough front up. Now that shield of down and everyone saw who was really underneath; just a little boy who was afraid and alone.

They had all changed during the Games. He didn't realize it at the time, but the three challenges that Yami put them through helped them grow. Yuugi briefly wondered if that was Yami's intention all along. He thought back and then shook his head, smiling. Nope, definitely not.

Honda became more comfortable with himself and came out to his parents. Otogi was happy that they weren't in a secret relationship anymore. Anzu was the biggest supporter of Honda when he was telling his parents. When she gets out of high school, she wants to work as a student therapist for boys and girls who are like Honda and not comfortable in their own skin.

Ryou was much stronger than he was before. He no longer completely relied on Bakura and could stand on his own two feet. The first thing he decorated their new apartment with was Akefia's paper doll from The Shadow Game. Bakura had learned to accept how Ryou felt about the passed Shadow Man but he also knew that Ryou did not have romantic feelings for the Shadow Man.

Seto had admitted his true feelings for Jounouchi. Jounouchi is still unsure of what he feels for Seto in return; he doesn't want to rush into any relationship he hasn't even considered first. Seto says that he will continue to support Jounouchi until he makes a decision. Seto told Jounouchi that the blond will move in with him; he would not take no for an answer and Jounouchi now lives in the Kaiba mansion where he has turned a guest room into his own.

Yuugi sighed; everyone's dreams were coming true but he felt like something was still missing.

He saw the gleam of a gold coin by his feet and picked it up. There was a bow stamped on to one of its sides. He felt his eyes water with tears. He began to walk across the park to the bridge. From any area of the park he could see the glow of Alice's Island on the little island in the middle of the artificial lake.

He passed by the arcade where kids were cheering as they beat each other's high scores. He peaked in and saw that all the old arcade games were gone and it was replaced by those newer, brighter arcade games.

He passed by the fun house and he saw his reflection in the mirror doors. He had definitely changed; he was not the same person who could be stalked by a couple of bullies so easily. His stance was firmer and more stable. His shoulders were squared back and his eyes had a certain wisdom to them.

He knew that he sounded conceited or selfish, but he really wished that Yami was here to compliment him on his beauty and growth like he always used to do.

He heard the programmed singing of, _"Twinkle, twinkle little bat. How I wonder what you're at. Up above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little bat. How I wonder what you're at,"_ as he passed by the Dormouse's Mine Ride.

Yuugi stopped by the Tunnel of Love and watched as couples boarded the swan boat, leaning into each other lovingly and sailing off into the romantically lit tunnel. He remembered the despair he and his friends felt that day whenever Yami told them all their flaws. He also remembered how brave all of his friends were when it came to conquering their own feelings.

He remembered the vulnerability in Yami's eyes and the confusion as Yuugi stood up to him and reversed his little mind game. He told Yami his true feelings; what he really thought about him. Yuugi had let all of his feelings that had built up since the beginning of the Game out. Yuugi only wished that he had just told Yami that he loved him right then and there and take him into his arms.

Maybe if he had done that then Yami would be standing by his side, still watching him and protecting him the shadows.

Yuugi felt the tears roll down his cheeks as he clutched the golden ring close to his heart.

Yami had released him from his promise, but what Yami didn't realize was that at the end, he didn't want to be released from his promise. In the end he realized he loved Yami and wanted to continue to be connected and bound to him. He didn't want to be free; he wanted to be with Yami.

Yuugi choked on a sob as he stared out past the artificial lake to the little, glowing island. He stood on the edge of the dock, there was no chain-link fence separating him from swimming to the island. Maybe there he would find Yami and then they could be together.

Yuugi felt a fresh wave of tears hit him. It wasn't fair. Why did Yami have to leave him right when he confessed his feelings for him? It is what Yami has always wanted to hear so why would he leave.

Yuugi took the gold coin in one hand and threw it as far as he could out to the lake. He heard it _sploosh_ in the water and then create a ripple affect.

He wiped away the tears but when he did, more came than before. He began to sob but his cries were drowned out by the sounds of Wonderland Park.

He felt someone put a hand on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise; he didn't even hear anyone come up to him.

"Hey, are you okay? Why are you crying?" a man asked. Yuugi's eyes widened; that voice sounded so familiar. Only one person in the world had a baritone voice like that.

He whipped his head up and stared through bleary eyes into a pair of crimson eyes that have always been in his dreams, good or bad. Those eyes he thought he would never see again and the eyes that he could never really describe because they were so unique. No association to the color red could justify his eyes.

Yuugi gaped and wiped his tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand.

Yuugi saw a spark of recognition light up in the back of this man's eyes for a moment—like a flickering flame—and then it was gone. He finally shook himself out of it. "I am sorry, it is rude to stare but I can't shake the feeling that I've met you somewhere before." The man furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "My name is Atemu Ishigami, by the way."

Yuugi tried to hide a gasp as he felt another sting of tears hit the back of his eyes. This was him; this was his Yami. He was not dressed in steampunk fashion as Yuugi normally saw him but this was his Yami. He may not remember him but Yuugi would change that.

Yuugi saw the fading remnants of what looked like a tattoo of a thorn bracelet on his wrist. Yuugi felt pure happiness over whelm him. He took Atemu's hand and shook it, squeezing it tightly; he wouldn't let him go again. They had lost each other thousands of years ago and then Yami found him again. Then Yuugi lost his love again right when he realized his feelings, right when he thought there was going to be a happily ever after. But now they have found their way back to each other again.

"No, I don't think we have met before. My name is Yuugi Motou."

Atemu smiled. "Oh, your name means 'Game' in Japanese, right?"

Yuugi smiled back. "Do you like games?"

Atemu nodded. "Yes, I love games."

Yuugi felt a surge of confidence that this was Yami standing in front of him and it nearly made him cry again. "We should play a game sometime," Yuugi suggested.

"Sounds great, how about tomorrow?" Atemu asked as he began to scribble down his cell phone number for Yuugi to call him.

"Sure, how about at nine?"

There was that small flame of recognition that flickered in Atemu's eyes again

The two turned their backs on the artificial, dark lake and walked away. They walked towards the bright glow of the theme park. They walked, hand-in-hand, away from the dark and unknown danger and together walked towards the bright, warm light.

Yuugi realized why Yami has always been so attracted to the light; it was so bright and comforting. There was no danger of the unknown in the light, he felt sure and pleasant. Yuugi looked back and over his shoulder, seeing the dark, eerie lake behind him. He smiled and waved goodbye, as if it was an old friend. He was leaving behind the darkness that haunted him and stalked him, and begin a newer and brighter future. Now that he has found Yami, or Atemu, again, he would strive to be his best.

Light and darkness are separate from each other. But light cannot exist without darkness and darkness cannot exist without light. As light is to dark, they will always be a part of each other and will never separate.

-/-

**Ranko: Do y'all still want to kill me? I'm pretty sure the end of this story is taking a huge chunk of my heart with it. **

**Yuugi: Oh…that was so beautiful. **

**Yami: You did good Ranko. **

**Ranko: Thank you, but on a serious note, I couldn't have done anything like this without you guys and I thank you for it. I love all of my reviewers, followers, and people who have favorited me. I mean it when I say that if it wasn't for your continued support, this story would not have lasted. Thank you :')**

**Yuugi: And now for the special announcement. **

**Ranko: PLEASE READ! I have an idea, something I have had since Ready or Not, with the thought, "What if The Shadow Game was a movie?" So I will be making a spinoff fic of what The Shadow Game would have been like behind the scenes if it were a movie. I hope that you will like it and I will post a notice on this story when it is out. **

**Yami: Ranko twin hopes that it will be out by July 27****th****. **

**Ranko: One final goodbye before I go. I seriously just want to say that it has been a blast to do this trilogy and I am so happy I have had such a wonderful group of people to share it with. Thank you all so much for always being there and I am saying that to every single one of you who are reading this. This story has made me laugh, cry, scream, and stay up late at night out of fear. But that is just the beauty of it all. So, again, thank you. Thank you for making me smile every day, thank you for giving me my confidence back.**

**Yuugi: Goodbye everyone, we'll hopefully see you in our other stories. **

**Ranko: I know this sounds cheesy but if you take anything from this story, I hope that it tells you not to be afraid of whatever is in the dark. If any of you are ever scared late at night, just imagine Yami is there and watching over you ;) To sum it all up in one phrase—the story, this whole long tangent— "All I refuse and thee I chuse." I love you all. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Ranko: Hey guys! I have a few announcements!**

**Yuugi: One is that the Behind the Scenes fic that Ranko promised you is up now so check it out and review!**

**Yami: Second, if you haven't been keeping up with Ranko's craziness lately, she posted a new story called "Taken Adrift" which is her first attempt at Tendershipping being the main pairing.**

**Ranko: Yes, so please read and review that one as well! I know that you guys are going to like it!**

**Yuugi: And then she posted "Once Upon a Lifetime" which is the 50 word prompt challenge that she promised you. The first 25 are up and the last 25 will be up hopefully soon. So check that out if you want and if you gave Ranko a word to use than check it out too so you can see how she used that word!**

**Ranko: Thank you so much for sticking with me guys! Enjoy all of my new stories!**


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